Marin French Cheese Co. Wins Six American Cheese Society Competition Awards

Petaluma, California — Marin French Cheese Co., the country’s oldest cheese company based in Marin County in Northern California, proudly announces six new national honors at the 2026 American Cheese Society (ACS) Judging & Competition. This year’s competition drew more than 1,600 entries from over 200 creameries, with 438 medals awarded across the field. Winners were celebrated at the ACS Annual Conference, held this year in Louisville, Kentucky.

Best in Class Highest Score & 1st Place: Big Breakfast (8 oz., SRP $14.99) brings Marin French Cheese Co.’s flagship recipe to a larger format. Built on the same fresh, rindless brie that has defined Petite Breakfast for over 160 years, Big Breakfast delivers on consumer demand while maintaining the beloved characteristics of the original. Without the bloomy white rind and with a fresher, firmer paste, it offers a tangy flavor and a smooth finish. It crumbles, melts, and incorporates seamlessly into dishes that a traditional aged brie cannot. (Category: American Originals – Original Recipe / Open Category – made from cow’s milk)

2nd Place: Petite Breakfast (4 oz., SRP $7.99) is a fresh brie without the rind traditionally seen in this style of cheese. It follows the same cheesemaking process as other brie-style cheeses, but skips the aging room, giving it a tangy flavor and slightly springy texture, reminiscent of creamy cheese curds. This protein filled breakfast alternative is Marin French Cheese Co.’s flagship and has paved the way for the brand’s cheesemaking process for over 160 years. (Category: American Originals – Original Recipe / Open Category – made from cow’s milk)

2nd Place: Petite Breakfast Everything (4 oz., SRP $7.99) is inspired by a breakfast favorite, this small-format fresh brie is loaded with an allergen-free Everything spice blend, delivering bold, savory notes and a satisfying crunch that complements its tangy, creamy base—creating a versatile cheese perfect for any time of day. (Category: Flavored Cheeses, Butter, and Cultured Dairy Products – American Originals (see C category) with Flavor Added – all milks)

3rd Place: Petite Breakfast Chive (4 oz., SRP $7.99) is a small-format brie that skips the aging room for a fresh, rindless experience. Chopped chives add vibrant, herbaceous flavor and a lingering savory finish that perfectly complements the cheese’s creamy texture and culture-forward tang. (Category: Flavored Cheeses, Butter, and Cultured Dairy Products – American Originals with Flavor Added – all milks)

3rd Place: Petite Camembert (4 oz., SRP $7.99) is a unique small format of the brand’s classic French style Camembert cheese. Using a different blend of cultures from other brie-style cheeses, this soft cheese features a creamy paste, complex with earthy aromas of mushroom, enrobed in a velvety bloomy rind. Part of the Petite Classic Collection, this cheese is true to Marin French’s California-crafted, French-inspired roots. (Category: Soft-Ripened Cheeses – Brie and camembert styles – made from cow’s milk – weighing under 8 oz)

3rd Place: Triple Crème Brie (8 oz., SRP $12.99) uses traditional French cheesemaking techniques starting by blending local milk and rich cream along with a unique mix of cultures. The result is a triple cream brie that boasts a smooth, creamy texture and a slightly sweet, milky flavor profile, all enveloped in a velvety white rind. This award-winning brie has gained international acclaim, securing a Gold medal at the World Cheese Awards in London in 2005, and repeating this remarkable achievement in 2010. (Category: Soft-Ripened Cheeses – Added Cream (Double and Triple Crème) – soft ripened / cream added – all milks)

“Six wins across our Breakfast Range and Classic Collection, including a first place finish for Big Breakfast, marks a meaningful moment for our team,” says Durae Hardy, Director of Marketing of Marin French Cheese Co. “These cheeses represent two different sides of who we are: Big Breakfast and the Petites show what happens when we take a beloved recipe and keep pushing it forward, while Petite Camembert and our Triple Crème Brie are a nod to the techniques that built this company over 160 years ago. Recognition like this from ACS judges tells us we’re honoring that history while still giving people something new to get excited about.”

Marin French Cheese Co.’s award-winning cheeses, including Big Breakfast (8 oz.), Petite Breakfast (4 oz.), Petite Breakfast Everything (4 oz.), Petite Breakfast Chive (4 oz.), Petite Camembert (4 oz.), Triple Crème Brie (8 oz.), and more are available at select major and specialty grocers and cheese shops nationwide.

About Marin French Cheese Co.

Born in the West when it was still wild, Marin French Cheese Co. has been handcrafting cheese on their historic ranch in Northern California since 1865. As the country’s oldest cheese company, Marin French brings over 160 years of cheesemaking heritage to every wheel, blending time-honored techniques with modern creativity and using the highest-quality California milk. From feeding hungry gold rushers to gracing today’s finest tables, Marin French Cheese Co. produces award-winning, original cheeses that connect past and present with every bite.