WESTBY, Wis. – Hidden Springs Creamery earned a record nine awards – the most of any farmstead dairy operation in the nation – at the 2014 American Cheese Society Competition last week in Sacramento, Calif.
Since launching her farmstead creamery eight years ago, Wisconsin Cheesemaker Brenda Jensen has earned more than 60 national awards for her Wisconsin original cheeses.
“To have my cheeses earn awards in the same realm as some of the nation’s greatest cheeses and most famous cheesemakers is truly an honor,” Jensen said.
Taking first place ribbons were Meadow Melody Grande, a mixed milk cheese combining cow and sheep’s milk, which also placed in the top 16 at the World Championship Cheese Contest earlier this year. Additional first place wins went to Driftless Natural and Driftless Honey Lavender, fresh sheep’s milk cheeses, as well as Timer Coulee Reserve, Jensen’s version of an aged French Ossau-Iraty.
Earning second place ribbons were Timber Coulee, a younger tomme, and Meadow Melody, a younger mixed milk cheese, as well as Driftless Maple. Capturing third place awards were Driftless Cranberry-Cinnamon and Ocooch Mountain Reserve, which Jensen describes as a “sheep’s milk salute to Parmesan.”
The 2014 ACS Judging & Competition saw 1,685 entries of cheeses and cultured dairy products from 248 companies. Entering companies represented 39 U.S. states, 4 Canadian provinces, the country of Colombia. In all, 325 ribbons were awarded. A full list of winners is at www.cheesesociety.org.
To learn more about Hidden Springs Creamery farmstead cheeses, contact Jensen at 608-606-3840 or email hiddensprings@mwt.net.
Hidden Springs Creamery handcrafts award-winning farmstead cheeses in the heart of Wisconsin’s Amish country. After starting with 50 sheep in 2006, Cheesemaker Brenda Jensen and her husband Dean today milk more than 450 sheep to craft artisan sheep’s milk and mixed-milk cheeses nearly year-round. For more information, visit www.hiddenspringscreamery.com
Source: Hidden Springs Creamery
