March 25 2014 – Kurt Ellis
FRESNO, OHIO – Pearl Valley Cheese, a four generation, family owned business, has been making award winning Swiss Cheese for over 85 years and the honors are still rolling in. A panel of international cheese experts judging the 2014 World Championship Cheese Contest recently awarded Pear l Valley a Gold Medal in the Rindless Swiss Cheese Class.
“For cheesemakers, this is like winning the Super Bowl,” said Company President Chuck Ellis. “We attribute our success to God blessing us with employees who are constantly striving to improve our quality, local dairy farmers who continually provide an excellent milk supply, and our loyal customers who have supported us throughout the years. To come out at the top among our peers in the cheese industry at such a competitive contest is a major accomplishment in the history of our company.”
The World Cheese Championships are held biannually in Madison, WI and this year’s competition was the largest ever with 2,615 entries from 22 countries. In addition to the Gold Medal in the Rindless Swiss Cheese Class, Pearl Valley’s Swiss was also recognized as one of the 16 top cheeses in the entire competition. Each cheese was judged on a 100 point scale analyzing appearance, flavor, finish, and texture.
About 250,000 pounds (almost 30,000 gallons) of milk are processed per day to produce over 20,000 pounds of cheese at the factory in northeast Coshocton County. The milk used at the plant originates from dairy farmers throughout eastern Ohio. Pearl Valley manufactures a wide variety of natural cheeses including Colby, Marble, Pepper Jack, Lacey Swiss and Baby Swiss. The most recent additions to their product line include popular flavors of Chipotle Pepper Jack and Bacon Jack. Wholesale distributors in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania distribute their cheeses around the Mid-Atlantic region.
During the Easter Holiday weekend (Friday 4/18 and Saturday 4/19), the public is invited to visit the factory store where two hundred pounds of the same cheese judged to be the world’s best Swiss will be sold at a price of $10/lb. All proceeds from this special cheese will be donated to the Hope Clinic that offers free medical care in Coshocton. Many local stores, markets and delis carry the Pearl Valley Cheese line. Customers can also purchase from the factory store on SR 93 in Fresno, OH or online at www.pearlvalleycheese.com.
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