Dairy Processing - September/October 2024 - 79

Gold medals for
Tillamook at ICDA
A trip to the 128th International Cheese and
Dairy Awards (ICDA) in Stafford, UK, in June
proved rewarding for Tillamook County Creamery
Association, which collected five gold medals
among its 13 awards.
The farmer-owned dairy cooperative shared that
it received a gold award for its Farmers' Collection
Hickory Smoked Extra Sharp White Cheddar in the
best USA cheese any variety, and naturally smoked
cheese categories.
Jill Allen, Tillamook's director of product
excellence, said the company was proud to be
" among the best cheesemakers in the world. "
" For 115 years, TCCA has been committed to
making extraordinary dairy, and it's an honor to
be recognized at a show as prestigious as the
International Cheese and Dairy Awards, " Allen said.
Tillamook took home a silver medal with its
Farmers' Collection Hickory Smoked Extra Sharp
White Cheddar (naturally smoked, semi-hard
cheese). The processor also earned silver medals
for its Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread and
Brick Cream Cheese.
Products from the Oregon-based dairy
manufacturer receiving bronze awards included the
Maker's Reserve 2019 Extra Sharp White Cheddar
(vegetarian cheese, cheddar) and Extra Sharp
White Cheddar (best USA cheddar, extra mature/
vintage).
Dairy experts and judges evaluate entries at the
ICDA competition, grading products on aroma,
flavor, texture and visual presentation. The three
highest-scoring entries in a class receive medals.
Organizers said this year's ICDA field included
more than 5,500 entries overall.
Cabot Creamery shines
at competitions
Between the 2024 American Cheese Society (ACS)
Judging & Competition and the 128th International
Cheese and Dairy Awards (ICDA), farmer-owned
cooperative Cabot Creamery earned four first-place
honors and 14 awards in total for its dairy products.
At the ICDA in Stafford, UK, Cabot's White Oak
Cheddar took the gold in one of the competition's
best USA cheese categories. The White Oak Cheddar
soon after became one of four Cabot products to
earn first place at this year's ACS competition, with
the company's Extra Sharp Cheddar, Monterey Jack
and Salted Butter also finishing first.
" We are incredibly proud to see our cheese
and butter at the top of the winners' lists in these
competitions, " said Jason Martin, Cabot's senior vice
president of operations. " These achievements belong
to our entire team, from the farmers who supply
the milk, to our dedicated production crew and our
diligent supply chain employees. "
The ACS also named Cabot's Alpine Cheddar and
New York Sharp Cheddar second place winners, and
its Unsalted Butter picked up a third place honor.
Cabot collected three silver medals at the ICDA
event, for its Alpine Cheddar, Salted Butter and 10%
Plain Greek Yogurt. Bronze medals went to Cabot's
Pimento Cheese Spread, Sharp Cheddar and Alpine
Cheddar.
" As a cheese grader, my job is to taste our products,
identify their characteristics and make sure they meet
our high standards of excellence, " said Gina Accorsi of
Cabot Creamery. " In addition to our flagship products
like Extra Sharp and Salted Butter, it's great to see our
unique cheddars like White Oak and Alpine receive
high praise from industry experts. "
DAIRYPROCESSING.COM | SEP-OCT 2024 79
Dairy Processing - September/October 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dairy Processing - September/October 2024
