Winners Announced In The NC State Fair Cheese Competition

RALEIGH — Box Carr Handmade Cheese of Cedar Grove took top honors in the N.C. State Fair Cheese Competition. The dairy’s Smear Ripened “Campo” won Best of North Carolina and Best of Show, in addition to winning a first place for Open Smear Ripened Cheese. Seven North Carolina cheese makers competed, submitting 35 cheeses.

Box Carr also won first places in: Smear Ripened with its “Lissome;” Soft Ripened with “Cottonbell,” and American Original with its “Nimble.” The Best of Show and Best of North Carolina winners receive a platter and a rosette.

A team of four judges rated the cheeses on technical and aesthetic merits using the American Cheese Society’s point system: first place, 93-100 points; second place, 86-92; and third place, 80-85.

Following are other winners:

·     Cheddar styles: second to Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery’s (Fairview) “Flat Creek Cheddar Cloth Bound,” and second to Guernsey Girl Creamery’s (Shelby) “Milk House Cheddar.”

·     Feta: first to Paradox Farm Creamery’s (West End) “Feta Complete,” second to Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery’s (Germanton) “Brined Feta,” second to Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery’s “Marinated Garlic.”

·     Flavored Hard Cheese: first to Guernsey Girl Creamery’s “Herb Cheddar,” second to Box Carr Handmade Cheese’s “Red Bud,” third to Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery’s “Asiago Peppercorn,” infused with peppercorns.

·     Flavored Soft Cheese: first to Celebrity Dairy’s (Siler City) “Party Serendipity,” second to Cheese competition winners, page 2 Guernsey Girl Creamery’s “Apple Pie,” third to Guernsey Girl Creamery’s “Pepper-Berry.”

·     Smear Ripened Cheese: first to Box Carr Handmade Cheese’s “Campo,” first to Box Carr Handmade Cheese’s “Lissome,” first to Chapel Hill Creamery’s (Chapel Hill) “Danziger,” second to Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery’s “the Richard” a Raclette-style cheese, third to Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery’s “Lexington Ave Funk” a #5 Tellagio style.

·     Open-Soft Ripened: first to Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery’s “Common Bear,” a bloomy rind cheese; first to Box Carr Handmade Cheese “Cottenbell,” second to Box Carr Handmade Cheese’s “Rocket’s Robiola,” second to Chapel Hill Creamery’s “Carolina Moon.”

·     Open-Soft and Spreadable: first to Chapel Hill Creamery’s “Fresh Farmer Cheese.”

·     Open-Semi-Soft Cheese: first to Chapel Hill Creamery’s “Hickory Grove.

·     Open Hard Cheese: first to Chapel Hill Creamery’s “Calvander.”

·     Goat’s Milk Fresh Chevre Cheese (Flavored): firsts to Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery’s “Date & Honey” and its “Garlic & Chives,” second to Celebrity Dairy "Paprika-Garlic."

·     Goat’s Milk Fresh Chevre Cheese (Unflavored): first to Celebrity Dairy’s “Pure Chevre,” second Paradox Farm “Cheese Louise! Natural,” second to Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery’s “Natural Chevre.”

·     Goat’s Milk Aged Cheese: first to Celebrity Dairy’s Silk Hope, second to Celebrity Dairy’s “Crottin,” second to Paradox Farm’s “Guy Noir.”

·     American Originals Open Cow or Goats milk: first to Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery’s “Sassy Blue,” a chili-infused blue cheese; second to Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery’s “Sunset Blue,” first to Box Carr Handmade Cheese’s “Nimble.”

Cheeses from the competition are on display in the Education Building. Many will be available for sampling and sale during the fair at the Got to be NC Dairy Products tent located between the Jim Graham Building and the waterfall.

Source: N.C. State Fair