Sonoma, CA — Laura Chenel Crottin, an aged goat cheese based on the traditional French 3-ounce disc, won top honors in the overall cheese category for the West Region on Jan. 17 at the 10th Good Food Awards. This prestigious win recognizes Crottin’s outstanding flavor reminiscent of mushrooms with hints of citrus and acknowledges Laura Chenel’s influential role in the specialty cheese industry as the company enters its fourth decade of making the highest-quality goat cheese in America.
The Good Food Awards celebrate the contributions of American craft food producers in creating a food system with a strong social conscience. Unlike most food competitions that focus solely on superior-tasting products, the Good Food Awards consider not only a product’s taste but also the practices its producer embodies — ensuring that the winners are socially and environmentally responsible. The 219 winners honored at the 10th Good Food Awards in 2020 represent 38 states, Washington, D.C. and Guam.
Laura Chenel CEO Eric Barthome noted, “We at Team Laura Chenel are incredibly proud to receive a Good Food Award for Crottin. This award is a reflection of our commitment to crafting the best quality goat cheese in a sustainably conscious manner with the freshest goat’s milk sourced from our network of family-owned farms.”
Aging Well
With its most recent Good Food Award, Laura Chenel continues to earn recognition for its aged line of cheeses.Crottin won second place in August at the 2019 American Cheese Society Judging & Competition, the largest contest of its kind for American-made cheese. Ash-Rind Buchette, a mild aged cheese with a delicate tang and a tender, edible rind, won Best of Show in the open category of non-cow’s milk cheeses at the 2019 California State Fair. The 2020 Good Food Award recognizes Laura Chenel for its continued commitment to its founding principles that make it synonymous with exceptional goat cheese.
LAURA CHENEL AGED CHEESES
Laura Chenel Crottin An aged goat cheese based on the traditional French 3-ounce disc, Laura Chenel soft-ripened Crottin starts with fresh, local goat milk that’s aged for 8-12 days until it develops a gentle surface mold that forms a natural, bloomy, wrinkled rind. Crottin has a dense, slightly chalky texture surrounded by a soft, creamy layer. Its flavor is reminiscent of mushrooms with hints of citrus and becomes more robust with age. Pair it with a Chenin blanc or American pale ale and serve it on a cheeseboard with fig jam. Crottin is also excellent baked and placed on a fresh green salad or paired with a piece of seasonal fruit for dessert. (3.5 oz. / SRP $4.99)
Laura Chenel Ash-Rind Buchette is a delicate, soft-ripened California original made in the traditional style of Geotrichum-rind goat cheese from the Loire Valley. Ash-Rind Buchette is dusted with vegetable ash and aged for 8-12 days, emerging with a beautiful patterned mold that resembles coral. Each log is then carefully wrapped in breathable film and snuggled into small wood cups for easy, elegant serving. The flavor of Ash-Rind Buchette ranges from mild with a delicate tang to pleasantly funky with buttery notes from a cream line that forms beneath the tender edible rind and spreads toward the chalky center. Enjoy it with a crisp white wine or a fruity IPA and serve on a cheeseboard alongside fresh cherries and walnuts. (4.5oz. / SRP $8.99)
Laura Chenel Creamy Brie Laura Chenel’s 5-ounce Creamy Brie is an American twist on the traditional French cow’s milk cheese. This soft-ripened wheel begins with fresh, local goat milk that is turned into curd, gently cut and poured into molds, where it’s allowed to drain naturally and retain as much moisture as possible. After 9-14 days of aging, Creamy Brie develops a thin, bloomy rind and a velvety texture that quickly becomes oozy. The result is a milder brie with grassy and nutty flavors balanced by hints of lemon and a clean finish. Creamy Brie pairs well with a Sauvignon blanc or Belgian-style ales. Serve it for dessert with honey or dark chocolate. (5 oz. / SRP $8.99)
About Laura Chenel
Laura Chenel introduced a new chapter in American cheese in 1979 when she started making farmstead goat cheese with milk from her own goats using techniques she learned in France.
Today, Laura Chenel still embodies its founding namesake’s pioneering spirit as a leading producer of fresh and aged goat cheeses and goat yogurts crafted with fresh goat’s milk from family-owned farms in California, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho. Located in the heart of Sonoma County, Laura Chenel is the first creamery in the U.S. to be awarded the prestigious LEED Gold certification and its commitment to sustainable practices, including solar energy and recycling, helps preserve the terroir for generations to come.
For more information, visit us at LauraChenel.com or follow us on Instagram or Facebook @LauraChenel
About the Good Food Awards
The Good Food Awards recognize the contributions of American craft food producers in creating a tasty, authentic and responsible food system. Each January, the Good Food Foundation organizes an epic three-day Good Food Awards Weekend for the public and the trade to meet, celebrate, taste and buy from the nearly 200 winners: the exceptional food crafters who top the charts in a blind tasting and meet the environmental and social responsibility standards of the Good Food Awards. More than 2,000 entries from all 50 states are submitted each year. Learn more at the Good Food Foundation.
