Ohio Cheesemakers Recognized at 2025 Ohio State Fair Cheese Contest
COLUMBUS, Ohio (July 18, 2025) The Ohio Cheese Guild is excited to celebrate the talent shown at the 2025 Ohio State Fair Cheese Contest. With 83 entries from cheesemakers across the state, this year’s event highlighted the craftsmanship of Ohio’s cheese community.
Held at Miceli Dairy Products in Cleveland and coordinated by the American Dairy Association Mideast, the contest contained 12 cheese classes. Pearl Valley Cheese of Fresno took home the Grand Champion award for their signature Swiss cheese, while Urban Stead Cheese of Cincinnati earned Reserve Champion for their Gouda.
Check out all the winners here.
+ + +
By Alana Pedalino and Mallory Scyphers | September 15, 2025
In a first for the United States, two American cheesemongers placed in the international Mondial du Fromage cheesemonger competition, colloquially known as the Cheese Olympics. 2024 culture Hot Lister Emilia D’Albero of Formaticum, a cheese tools company, took home top honors as the world’s best monger; Courtney Johnson, who recently opened her brick-and-mortar cheese shop Street Cheese in Seattle, earned third place. In second place came Matthieu Thuillier of France. Each monger received a monetary prize and medal at an awards ceremony in Tours, a city in the Loire Valley region of France.
Read the full article from Culture Magazine here.
++
New Beacon Hill cheese shop debuts from a world-class expert
By Jackie Varriano, Seattle Times food writer, October 14, 2026
The Moses Reaper cheese from Vermont creamery Jasper Hill Farm has a bloomy rind. The interior is colored with annatto seeds, giving the brie-style cheese a soothing, orange-sherbet color, which contrasts in a delightfully Halloween-ish way with the blackened, ash-coated rind.
It’s a delicious, buttery cheese from the brand-new shop Street Cheese on Beacon Hill.
Read the full article.
+++
The Chefs’ Warehouse, a leading distributor of specialty foods to restaurants and retailers, has announced the appointment of Felice Thorpe as Cheese and Charcuterie Specialist for Northern California.
Thorpe brings more than a decade of experience in sales, marketing, and brand development within the cheese and specialty food industries. Her career highlights include national product launches into major retailers, guiding international brands entering the U.S. market, and senior leadership roles with Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., Laura Chenel, Marin French Cheese Co., and the California Artisan Cheese Guild. She was raised on a family farm in West Marin, California and is a graduate of Sonoma State University.
In this new position, Thorpe will work closely with chefs, retailers, and hospitality professionals to expand their knowledge of and access to exceptional cheeses and charcuterie. She will share her expertise in product selection, merchandising, and menu integration. (October 16, 2025)
+++
