Westby Creamery Takes Top Award at 2018 World Championship

Apr 16, 2018 (Westby, WI)

Westby Cooperative Creamery brought home a second place award medal for their 4% Large Curd Cottage Cheese from the 2018 World Championship Cheese Contest held March 6-8 in Madison, WI.

Hosted this year by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, this international competition included over 3400 entries from 26 nations in 121 contest classes. Initiated in 1957; the World Championship Cheese Contest is the largest technical competition in the world for cheeses, butter, and yogurts.

There were 28 entries in the category of Cottage Cheeses from companies in five U. S. States, and the country of Austria. The other top winners, joining Westby Cooperative Creamery from the state of Wisconsin; were from the states of New Jersey and Illinois.

The second-place award medal for Westby Creamery Brand 4% Large Curd Cottage Cheese was awarded for a judge’s score of 99.00%; with a separation of just .05 percentage points from the First Place Gold Medal winning entry at 99.05%. The Third Place Medal winner earned 98.90%, to reflect just how close each winning entry was in judging criteria; and, further reflecting the level of quality in all entries in this 2018 World Championship Cheese Contest.

Says Pete Kondrup, General Manager of Westby Cooperative Creamery: “On behalf of our patron-member-owners and employees, we are certainly proud to receive this 2018 international recognition of quality for our 4% Large Curd Cottage Cheese product. This international award follows our 2017 and 2015 U. S. Championship Cheese Contest 1st Place/Best-of-Class awards for our 4% Small Curd Cottage Cheese.

“This is especially gratifying for our business as we enter our 115th year of operations in 2018, with a recent Proclamation from Wisconsin Governor, Scott Walker; designating the City of Westby, WI, as the Cottage Cheese Capital of Wisconsin. Most people are surprised to learn that Westby Cooperative Creamery is the only manufacturer of Cottage Cheese in the State of Wisconsin.

“This 2018 World Championship Cheese Contest Award Medal is perhaps evidence for a new designation; that being that the City of Westby, WI, home to Westby Cooperative Creamery, is also now to be recognized as the Cottage Cheese Capital of the World;” concludes Kondrup, with a smile.