Tillamook Monterey Jack Voted Americas Best At U.S. Championship Cheese Contest
March 22, 2011 | 2 min to read
TILLAMOOK, Ore. – Tillamook Cheese is clearing space in the trophy case for its new Monterey Jack, voted America’s Best Monterey Jack Cheese at the United States Championship Cheese Contest, held last week in Wisconsin. Additionally, earning Best in Class at the contest, is the popular Colby Jack, a delicious blend of Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses. The prestigious honors come on the heels of Tillamook winning World’s Best Medium Cheddar at the 2010 World Championship Cheese Contest®.
Featuring a new milder flavor and perfectly creamy texture, Tillamook Monterey Jack cheese is hitting stores now with an improved recipe and updated packaging. The new recipe achieves a mild taste and perfect meltability that is ideal for sandwiches, enchiladas, eggs and tacos. Like all Tillamook Cheese, all natural Tillamook Monterey Jack and its award-winning cousin, Colby Jack, are made with only the highest quality milk from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones.
“Recognition from our peers is so rewarding in light of all the hard work our team has done to get the flavor and texture of this new Monterey Jack just right. And we couldn’t ask for better timing; product is hitting store shelves right now,” said Harold Strunk, Tillamook president and CEO.
The United States Championship Cheese Contest, held every two years, broke records this year as the largest dairy product competition in U.S. history with 1,604 cheese and butter entries from 30 states. Judged against a perfect score of 100, Tillamook Monterey Jack was honored as “America’s Best” against a field of 35 entries with a score of 99.40, and Colby Jack took Best in Class out of 29 entries with a score of 99.65.
New Tillamook Monterey Jack is available in stores now in 12-oz. slices, 2.5-lb., 1-lb., 8-oz chunks, as well as the 2-lb. Baby Loaf, for $3 to $8. The award-winning Colby Jack and a variety of other Tillamook cheeses are also found in deli and cheese cases in grocery stores nationwide.
For more information on the United States Championship Cheese Contest, visit www.uschampioncheese.org.
About Tillamook County Creamery Association
Established in 1909, the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) is a cooperative of 110 dairy farming families guided by century-old values of quality, cooperation, integrity, stewardship and responsiveness. Quickly becoming one of the top dairy brands in the country, Tillamook is most famously known for its award-winning, naturally aged Tillamook cheddars and also offers a variety of other cheeses, ice cream, butter, sour cream and yogurt. For more information, visit: www.Tillamook.com.
Source: Tillamook County Creamery Association