The smoked gumleaf halloumi was the only cheese Bodalla Dairy Shed entered in the awards and had to be couriered to judging in Werribee, Victoria, to compete against other cheeses from all around Australia.

Bodalla Dairy Shed owner Sandra McCuaig said was "very thrilled" with the result.

"It is exciting to be up there with the big boys," she said.

Ms McCuaig has been producing smoked gumleaf halloumi for eight months. She said it takes hours to smoke the halloumi naturally, but it made for the best flavour.

Bodalla Dairy Shed has won 45 medals in the awards over the previous three years, and Ms McCuaig said it was "very rewarding" and "becomes a bit addictive".

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She said the secret to making delicious cheese was starting off with beautiful milk.

Bodalla Dairy Shed prides itself on including native plants such as Kakadu plum or Tasmanian Pepperberry in their cheese and ice-cream products as a point of difference.

Ms McCuaig believes Bodalla to be the only dairy producing smoked halloumi.

She said she would keep entering her cheeses in competitions all around Australia, and is entering more cheeses in the Dairy Industry Royal Easter Show awards - postponed because of COVID - in Sydney next week.

She will travel to Sydney to deliver the products for testing as part of her fortnightly commute to restoke the ice-cream store she opened in Woollahra in April 2021.