Caves of Faribault Wins Bronze at World Cheese Awards: Cave-Aged Gouda Wows Judges at International Cheese Contest

Faribault, MN – Caves of Faribault has been named among the winners at the 32nd annual World Cheese Awards in Bergamo, Italy, standing out from the crowd as a record-breaking 3,804 entries were judged in a single day at Fiera di Bergamo on Friday, October 18th.

Caves of Faribault, part of Prairie Farms’ Cheese Division, was awarded a coveted Bronze award with its cave-aged Jeffs’ Select Gouda. Jeffs’ Select is made from cow’s milk from Wisconsin before being finished in sandstone caves of Faribault, Minnesota. The tradition produces a Gouda that is full-bodied with a classic European nuttiness and caramel notes.

With entries representing 42 nations from six continents at the World Cheese Awards this year, Caves of Faribault has gained an internationally recognized seal of approval from a truly global cheese event. Visiting Italy for the very first time, the competition formed part of Bergamo’s annual FORME festival, taking place alongside the brand new international dairy trade show, B2Cheese.

“Winning this award on a European stage is a great honor,” said Chris Hoeger, Prairie Farms Cheese Division President. “This was our first win at WCS since 2002 and something we can add to our resume of award-winning cheeses. We hope it will open more doors with retailers to see that some of the world’s best Gouda is made right here in the Midwest.”

The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) played a key role in helping more U.S. dairies enter this year’s contest. More U.S. dairy companies entered than ever before thanks to a program offered by USDEC that provided funding for entry costs and shipping.

Records were broken across the board again this year, as more nations than ever before entered cheeses into the planet’s biggest cheese-only event. Entries made their way by boat, truck, train, and plane via 13 consolidation points around the world, from countries including Brazil, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa. 260 judges from 35 different countries then assessed the appearance, texture, aroma, and flavor of the cheeses, giving Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Super Gold awards to worthy entries.

As 3,804 eventually became 16, the crowds then watched on as the finest palates in the global cheese community debated the world’s top cheese. Featuring cheesemakers, cheese mongers, buyers, chefs, retailers and writers, the International Super Jury all put forward their chosen cheeses live on World Cheese TV, before crowning this year’s World Champion Cheese.

For more information on the World Cheese Awards, visit https://gff.co.uk/awards/world-cheese-awards/