NEWTON, WI – For the sixth consecutive contest, Pine River Pre-Pack earned the Best-of-Class award in the Cold Pack Cheese Food class at the 2022 World Championship Cheese Contest held in Madison, Wisconsin last week. The cheese spread company also took home four more awards, including Best-of-Class in the Cheese Based Spreads class.
The winner for Cold Pack Cheese Food, Chunky Bleu, is a classic blend of Wisconsin aged sharp cheddar and chunks of Bleu Marble Jack, creating a truly one-of-kind cheese spread. This is the second World gold medal for Chunky Bleu, which also won in 2014.
Pine River swept the rest of the Cold Pack Cheese Food category with a second place win for Toasted Onion and third place for Aged Asiago.
Pimento earned the Best-of-Class award for the Cheese Based Spread class. This is the first win for Pimento, a classic southern blend of cream cheese, pimentos, and sharp cheddar cheese shreds.
The final win for Pine River came in the Cold Pack Cheese Spread class with third place for their Clean Label Garlic & Herb Spread. This creamy natural white Wisconsin Cheddar accented with garlic, parsley, oregano, and chives, is part of a cheddar-based line of cold pack cheese spreads crafted without preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors, or added hormones.
“It’s always an honor to win at an international level at the World Championship Cheese Contest,” said Phil Lindemann, CEO, of Pine River. “This year it was especially great to have our Pimento and one of our Clean Label spreads recognized.”
This year, the biennial contest had 2,900 entries with judges from around the world ranking each on quality, flavor, texture, salt, color, and finish. Awards are given for the top three entries in each category (gold, silver, and bronze). The World Championship Cheese Contest is the largest technical cheese and butter competition in the world.
To view the full list of winners, click here. To learn more about Pine River, or use our online store locator to find a retailer near you, visit pineriver.com.
About Pine River Pre-Pack
Founded on more than five generations of experience in the dairy industry, Pine River Pre-Pack, Inc. produces three styles of award-winning Wisconsin Cheese Spread — Cold Pack Cheese Spread, Clean Label Cold Pack Cheese Spread, and Shelf-Stable Gourmet Snack Spread. We also offer Private Label, Food Service, and Fundraising services. Our cheese spreads are crafted one batch at a time in our state-of-the-art facility in Newton, WI. For more information, visit pineriver.com.
