Clotted cream perfectly placed on a freshly made scone… A chunk of creamy Gorgonzola on a sweet cracker… A rich, lemony cheesecake with a crisp, buttery base… Fresh pasta covered in Parmesan… Think about the most indulgent, delicious and decadent thing you could possibly eat… There’s dairy in it, isn’t there?  

Whether it’s silky cream, an award-winning cheese, luscious full-fat yoghurt or simply the milk you froth for your morning coffee, quality dairy can transform simple dishes into something so much more. To delve deeper into its appeal, we chatted to food experts about their dairy obsessions, why quality matters and the staples they can’t live without. Here’s what they had to say.  

Why quality matters
The importance of quality is not something that can easily be overlooked. “It so matters to the overall eating experience,” says Khanya Mzongwana, contributing food editor at Woolworths Taste. “You can tell a cheap yoghurt from a solid-quality one by the sheer viscosity and thickness of it.” And once you’ve tasted quality, inferior products are impossible to ignore. “Once you’ve used good-quality mozzarella on a pizza, settling for a lower-quality dairy product can ruin the entire experience.” 

The appeal of dairy is that it brings so much to the table. “Dairy can often form the backbone of flavour and texture,” says Jess Shepherd, co-owner and chef at Good To Gather in Stellenbosch, which was awarded two stars at the 2026 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards. “When it’s good, you can taste it, even if it’s not the main feature of a dish.” She continues, “[Quality] can change everything. How a sauce emulsifies, how a custard sets, how cheese melts, how something like pastry or ice cream feels on the palate.” 

Award-winning standards
At Woolworths, the commitment to quality is built into every step of the process. “It’s what we stand for as a business to ensure we provide our customers with the best products on shelf,” explains Yumna Seedat, Product Developer Dairy at Woolworths Food, “continuously providing them with the ‘difference’, which is top-quality standards at all times.” 

That difference shows in the results. This year, at the 2026 SA Dairy Championships, Woolworths achieved 80 awards across their dairy range, spanning cheese, milk, yoghurt, dairy drinks, cream, butter, ice cream and desserts. “The standout recognition is the Qualité Awards – an absolute mark of perfection,” says Caryn Albers, Product Developer Cheese at Woolworths Foods. “Our Qualité winners include Paarl Rock Brie, Unsalted Butter, Fresh Custard with Vanilla Bean Seeds, 10-Month Mature Gouda and Organic Fresh Full Cream Milk.” 

When it comes to what sets Woolworths cheese apart, Caryn is clear: “We partner closely with local producers – many of whom we’ve built long-standing relationships with – and continuously innovate using the best-quality ingredients while honouring traditional cheesemaking processes.” Their 10-Month Mature Gouda stands out as particularly exceptional, having claimed Product of the Year three times in previous years and earned this year’s Qualité recognition alongside an overall second-place honourable mention. 

For Yumna, the investment in quality comes down to a simple promise: “We ensure that only the best is carefully selected, from ingredients to unique processing, as well as specific cold-chain requirements, in order to provide the best-quality products on shelf that the Woolworths customer receives.” 

How the pros indulge
Looking at our experts’ favourite ways to indulge, it’s clear why quality is an absolute non-negotiable. “I really love Greek yoghurt. It’s such a beautiful product and so tasty and versatile, applying itself in both sweet and savoury scenarios,” says Khanya. Karen Dudley, chef and cookbook author, is all about “thin, crispy, seedy toast, a wodge of cold butter, good mature Cheddar, sort of squashed down on it, and sometimes kimchi on top.” Jess loves “proper cultured butter on freshly baked sourdough. Simple, but hard to beat.” 

But sometimes the most perfect dairy moments are the most simple ones. For Khanya, “A good soft serve can seriously change the course of my day” and she’s equally passionate about everyday staples: “Double-thick yoghurt – I only buy it at Woolies and it’s consistently perfect! I also love amasi – it’s a staple in my household. Sometimes I strain it through muslin cloth to make a soft cheese, or I simply make umvubo on a hot day.” Karen finds perfection in “cold butter on a home-made ginger biscuit”, while Jess’ simple pleasure is “a bowl of farm yoghurt with toasted almonds and a drizzle of honey.” 

Simple wins
When faced with the ultimate choice – fancy cheese board or the perfect cheese toastie – the experts’ answers reveal something telling about dairy’s appeal. “This is an unfair question! But a cheese toastie is a limitless thing and so indulgent and gooey when done just right,” explains Khanya. “It’s really comforting and a vehicle for all kinds of foods: atchar, curry mince, even leftover vegetables can go right in there and be a brand-new thing!” Karen opts for “the perfect toasted cheese (made by one of my family) at the right moment!” And Jess admits, “this is a tough one, but I’ll have to go with a cheese toastie. A great cheese toastie is just comfort and nostalgia. Especially if you get those crispy golden cheese nuggets all around the edges. What South African household did not have a snackwich machine?!” 

Dairy’s greatest magic is that it can elevate both the sophisticated and the simple with equal measure. Whether it’s mature Cheddar on artisanal crackers or melted cheese between two slices of bread, quality dairy transforms every bite into something worth savouring.