It was another successful summer awards season for Pine River Pre-Pack who took home a third place win at the prestigious American Cheese Society (ACS) Judging & Competition and earned the top two spots at the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Products Contest.
Pine River combines more than four generations of experience in the cheese business with today’s precision processing techniques to make award-winning cheese spreads. Exacting manufacturing standards and a state-of-the-art cutter assure standout flavor and texture. Highly trained cheesemakers age Wisconsin Grade A Natural Cheddar to start each batch and a keen eye for detail contributes to the delicacy and perfection of each cup.
Aged Asiago Cold Pack Cheese Spread was the third place winner at the ACS Contest. “We searched multiple cheese factories throughout the state to find the right aged Asiago for this spread,” noted Phil Lindemann, President and CEO of Pine River. “We needed a specific flavor profile that would blend well with the Wisconsin Cheddar to create a sharp nutty flavor with a sweet finish.” That search for flavor excellence was rewarded with the ACS win as well as a second place award at the 2019 U.S. Championship Cheese contest this spring.
257 cheesemakers representing 35 states, four Canadian provinces, Mexico and Brazil entered 1,742 different products in the ACS competition, with winners announced at the annual awards ceremony held on Saturday, August 3.
At the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Products Contest, Swiss & Almond took home the blue ribbon for the fourth consecutive year, and Chunky Bleu won second place.
“This is the twelfth time Swiss & Almond has taken home the blue ribbon at the Wisconsin State Fair in the 36 years we’ve been entering,” said Lindemann. “That speaks to the consistency of the flavor, body, texture and appearance of our spreads, something that we really strive to provide in every cup of cheese spread we produce.”
A record number 445 entries in 39 classes were submitted in the contest this year. Winners were recognized at the Blue Ribbon Dairy Products Auction held on Thursday, August 8 at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin. The auction raised $51,620 for student scholarships and dairy promotions, the second highest auction on record.
About Pine River Pre-Pack
Pine Rive Pre-Pack has been crafting award-winning gourmet cheese spreads and confections for over fifty years. Our Cold Pack Cheese Food is available in the refrigerated dairy case of select grocery and gourmet food stores across the United States and sold nationally through school and civic group fundraisers, and corporate gift programs. For more information, visit pineriver.com.
