RALEIGH — Chapel Hill Creamery took top honors in the North Carolina State Fair Cheese Competition sponsored by Whole Foods Market. The dairy’s Calvander cheese won Best of North Carolina and Best of Show, in addition to winning a first place for best hard cheese.
Chapel Hill Creamery also won ribbons in the Mozzarella, Smear Ripened, Open Semi-Soft Cheese, Open Hard Cheese, Feta, Swiss and Open Soft Ripened categories.
Fifteen N.C. cheese makers submitted 76 cheeses. Multiple cheeses can be submitted into each category.
The judging took place Oct. 10. A team of six 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, meaning you can have multiple winners in each category.
Cheddar
1st The Cultured Cow Creamery (Durham)
2nd Looking Glass Creamery (Fairview), Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery (Fairview)
3rd The Cultured Cow Creamery
Swiss
1st Chapel Hill Creamery
2nd The Cultured Cow Creamery
Mozzarella
1st Chapel Hill Creamery
3rd Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery
Feta
1st Buffalo Creek Farms (Germanton), Three Graces Dairy (Marshall)
2nd Buffalo Creek Farms, Chapel Hill Creamery, Paradox Farm Creamery (West End)
3rd Goat Lady Dairy (Climax)
Flavored Hard Cheese
2nd Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery, The Cultured Cow Creamery
Flavored Soft Cheese
1st Goat Lady Dairy
2nd The Cultured Cow Creamery with 2, Three Graces Dairy, Goat Lady Dairy, Chapel Hill Creamery
Smear Ripened Cheese
1st Chapel Hill Creamery
2nd Chapel Hill Creamery, Three Graces Dairy
Open Soft Ripened
1st Chapel Hill Creamery
2nd Goat Lady Dairy, Looking Glass Creamery, Paradox Farm Creamery
3rd The Three Graces Dairy, Goat Lady Dairy, Once Upon a Meadow (Kernersville)
Open Soft and Spreadable
2nd English Farmstead Cheese (Marion) with 2, Goat Lady Dairy
Open Semi-Soft Cheese
1st Chapel Hill Creamery
2nd English Farmstead Cheese, The Cultured Cow Creamery
3rd Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery, Oak Moon Farm Creamery (Bakersville)
Open Hard Cheese
1st Chapel Hill Creamery
2nd Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery, Goat Lady Dairy, Piemonte Farm (Burlington)
3rd The Cultured Cow Creamery, Piemonte Farm
Goat’s Milk Fresh Chevre Cheese (Flavored)
1st Holly Grove Farms (Goldsboro), Buffalo Creek Farms, Looking Glass Creamery, Three Graces with 4
2nd Buffalo Creek Farms, Once Upon A Meadow, Kilby Family Farms (Asheboro), Three Graces Dairy, Holly Grove Farms, Paradox Farm Creamery
Goat’s Milk Fresh Chevre Cheese (Unflavored)
1st Paradox Farm Creamery, Goat Lady Dairy, Holly Grove Farms
2nd Kilby Family Farms
3rd Buffalo Creek Farms
Goat’s Milk Aged Cheese
1st Looking Glass Creamery
2nd Oak Moon Farm Creamery
Sheep & Mixed Milk Cheese
2nd Three Graces Dairy with 2, Goat Lady Dairy
American Originals Open Cow or Goats milk
2nd Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery, The Cultured Cow Creamery, Oak Moon Farm Creamery, Goat Lady Dairy
3rd The Cultured Cow Creamery
All cheeses in the contest will be displayed during the fair in the Education Building. The Best of Show and other cheeses will be available for sampling and sale at the Got to be NC Dairy Products tent during the State Fair, Oct. 16-26. The tent is located between the Jim Graham Building and the Waterfall.
Source: N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
