Randolph, VT: The Vermont Cheese Council (VCC), an organization dedicated to the production and advancement of quality Vermont cheese announced that seven Vermont cheesemakers took home 19 medals at the World Cheese Awards held in Bergamo, Italy and hosted by Annual Guild of Fine Foods with partners FORME, the Italian & International Cheese Festival and B2Cheese trade show. VT cheese companies winning awards included Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, VT; Parish Hill Creamery in Westminster West, VT; Cabot Creamery Cooperative in Cabot, VT; Spring Brook Farm in Reading, VT; von Trapp Farmstead in Waitsfield, VT; and collaborations with Grafton Village Cheese Company with Crown Finish Caves; and Vermont Creamery with Wegman’s Markets.
Rogue Creamery in Central Point, OR won Best of Show for its Organic Rogue River Blue. This is the first time that an American-produced cheese has earned this top award. Additionally, seven American cheese companies won Super Gold Trophies, placing them in the running for Best of Show Cheese.
“It’s wonderful to see Vermont cheesemakers getting the respect they deserve on the world cheese stage,” said Vermont Cheese Council Executive Director, Tom Bivins. “The importance of the dairy and cheese industry to Vermont agriculture is significant socially and culturally, as well as enhancing our sense of place and supporting agriculture economies in their communities. Cheese is an economic engine for the state and represents a great opportunity for entrepreneurs. These cheesemakers are ambassadors for Vermont. We are very proud of their success.”
The Guild of Fine Food in the UK is one of the most prestigious of the world food guilds and manages the World Cheese Awards, along with Great Taste, a specialty food awards, and Shop of the Year 2020. Over 260 judges from around the world were on hand to judge 3,804 cheeses from 42 countries for this competition. Judging took place in a single day. American cheeses won 126 medals in numerous categories across all milk types.
Winning Cheeses from Vermont
· Cabot Creamery Cooperative, Cabot, VT, MA, NY: Cabot Alpine Cheddar, Bronze
· Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm, Greensboro, VT: Bayley Hazen Blue, Gold; Moses Sleeper, Gold; Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, Silver; Vault 5 Cave Aged, Silver; Oma, Silver; Willoughby, Silver; Hartwell, Silver; cave-aged Cheddar, Bronze; Harbison, Bronze;
· Crown Finish Caves, Brooklyn, NY with Grafton Village Cheese Company, Grafton, VT: Bismark, Bronze; Barnburner, Bronze;
· Parish Hill Creamery, West Westminster, VT: Humble, Bronze; Idyll, Bronze;
· Spring Brook Farm/Farms for City Kids Foundation, Reading, VT: Tarentaise, Bronze; Ashbrook, Bronze;
· von Trapp Farmstead, Waitsfield, VT: Mad River Blue, Bronze; Mt Alice, Bronze;
· Wegman’s Markets, Rochester, NY with Vermont Creamery, Websterville, VT: 1916, Silver.
For a comprehensive list of the 2019 World Cheese Award winners, visit www.gff.co.uk/awards/worldcheeseawards.
The state of Vermont, celebrated for its focus on family agriculture, small farms, and Vermont-made products, including cheese, boasts more state-inspected cheese companies per capita than any other state in the nation- close to 1 cheesemaker for 13,000 people. There are currently 54 Members of the Vermont Cheese Council making over 225 varieties of cheese. Cheesemakers range in size from producers for local farmers markets to producers selling in regional, national, and international markets. Cheesemaking represents over one billion dollars in revenue for Vermont companies.
The Vermont Cheese Council is a statewide membership-based organization with 54 Principal cheese- producing members and over 20 associate members. The VCC is committed to promoting the advancement and quality of Vermont cheese through promotion, education, and active peer to peer support. The organization has been in existence since 1996. For more information, please contact: Tom Bivins, Executive Director at tom@vtcheese.com or call 802-451-8564 or visit the Vermont Cheese Council website at www.vtcheese.com.
