Business
Land O’Lakes and Vermont Creamery recognized at World Championship Cheese Contest
This year's contest received over 3,300 entries from 25 countries in 150 class categories
- Cheddar, Mild (0 to 3 months): 5th place
- Cheddar, Aged Two Years or Longer: Best in Class and 3rd place
- Cheddar, Aged Two Years or Longer (manufactured by Land O’Lakes for Masters Gallery Foods, Inc.): 5th place
Cheese judges say "cheese" for a photo.
- Soft Goat’s Milk Cheeses: Best in Class for Classic Goat Cheese
- Soft Goat’s Milk Cheeses, Flavored with Sweet Condiments: 2nd place for Strawberry Spritz Goat Cheese; 5th place for Cranberry Orange Cinnamon Goat Cheese
- Cultured Products: 2nd place for Crème Fraîche
- Soft Ripened Goat’s Milk Cheese: 3rd place for Couple
- Butter, Cultured: 3rd place for Unsalted Cultured Butter
- Surface Ripened Mixed Milk Cheeses: 5th place for Cremont
"Recognition of this scale is a direct result of the skill, commitment and pride our employees bring to their craft every single day. Their dedication to quality is what keeps Land O’Lakes at the forefront of the dairy industry, ensuring we continue to deliver cheese and other products worthy of world-wide acclaim."
Heather Anfang
Dairy Foods President
As Master Cheesemaker for the Kiel facility, Tim Sterns led the selection process for which cheddar cheese blocks were submitted for judging. He also had the opportunity to showcase a 14-year-old block of cheddar produced at Kiel for contest attendees. He said vetting which cheese blocks should be entered for judging is a year-round process at the facility.
“As we grade our retail cheese products, we evaluate the body, texture, and taste for qualities the align well with contest judging criteria,” says Tim. “From the creaminess of a mild cheddar to the acidity of an aged cheddar, and even testing how much a cheese bends, Land O'Lakes has built a team with an excellent sense for the high standards judges and the public have for their cheeses, as shown by these contest results.”
Visit the World Championship Cheese Contest website for full results and contest details.
