Ohio's Top Cheesemakers Recognized in State Fair Contest

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Grand Champion and Reserve Champion cheesemakers were selected at the 2022 Ohio State Fair Cheese contest at Pearl Valley Cheese in Fresno.

The American Dairy Association Mideast, who coordinated the event, announced that Guggisberg Cheese of Millersburg took top honors, receiving the overall Grand Champion and Urban Stead Cheese of Cincinnati, Ohio took the Reserve Champion award.

Participation was at an all-time high with 60 entries from cheesemakers across the state. Winners of the contest by classification are as follows:

Swiss Class:

First Place - Guggisberg Cheese, Millersburg

Second Place - Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno

Third Place - Guggisberg Cheese, Millersburg

Other Swiss Class:

First Place - Guggisberg Cheese, Millersburg

Second Place - Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno

Third Place - Guggisberg Cheese, Millersburg

Mild Cheddar Class:

First Place - Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati

Second Place - Snowville Creamery, Pomeroy

Third Place - Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield

Aged Cheddar Class:

First Place - Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati

Second Place - Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield

Third Place - Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield

Surface Mold Ripened Class:

First Place - Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland

Second Place - Kuhweid Creamery, Sugarcreek

Bacteria Ripened Class:

First Place - Black Radish Creamery, Columbus

Second Place - Kuhweid Creamery, Sugarcreek

Third Place - Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland

Fresh Unripened Class:

First Place - Bunker Hill Cheese, Millersburg

Second Place - Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati

Open Class -- Cow's Milk:

First Place - Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, -Marble Colby

Second Place - Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Colby

Third Place - Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Colby

Open Class -- Flavored:

First Place - Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Smoked Swiss

Second Place - Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Pepper Jack

Third Place - Tri State Cheese, Hicksville, Pepper Jack

Open Class -- Other Milk:

First Place - Blue Jacket Dairy, Bellefontaine

Second Place - Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland

Judges for the contest included Jeff Jirik, retired cheese product developer; Brian Schlatter, ACS CCP, CCSE, cheesemaker; James Troyer, owner of Troyer Foods; Abbe Turner, cheesemaker; and Kristopher Welch, dairy plant supervisor.