Green Bay, WI - On March 12 and 13 an expert panel of experienced judges from the dairy industry and government agencies spent two days at the Green Bay Packers home, Lambeau Field, to cut, feel, smell and taste cheeses from across the U.S. to determine the best cheeses in the country. The event is organized by the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association every two years. This year’s contest attracted over 1,700 entries in 82 different cheese classes from across the nation. The prizes will be awarded at the Wisconsin Cheese Industry Conference on April 18 in La Crosse, WI.
Pearl Valley Cheese, a fourth generation family owned business located in Fresno (Coshocton County) OH, was awarded a Silver Medal in the Swiss Cheese Class for its mild Swiss Cheese; and a Bronze Medal in the Smoked Hard Cheese Class for its Smoked Swiss. “A prestigious award such as this is a credit the dairy producers who work hard to supply us with top quality milk, and to the skills and experience of our cheesemaking staff. It feels good to see our cheese listed as one of the premier cheeses in the nation.” says Chuck Ellis, President of Pearl Valley Cheese.
The company has a long history of cheese awards to its credit at state, national, and international competitions over the years. Pearl Valley uses milk purchased from dairymen in eastern Ohio to make eleven different types of cheese. Customers are invited to sample before they buy at the company’s retail store. Visitors can watch cheesemaking in progress through the observations windows in the cheese shop on weekday mornings. Pearl Valley cheese products are distributed throughout the Eastern U.S. and Florida by a network of wholesalers.
