American Cheese Society: Best Cheddar From Vermont Cabot Creamery Leads Vermont Sweep of Cow's Milk Cheddar Awards.

Business Editors & Food Writers

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 2001

Cabot Creamery's champion cheesemakers raced to victory this past weekend in the hometown of the Kentucky Derby. At the American Cheese Society's (ACS) 18th Annual Conference and Judging, Cabot earned four awards, including three blue ribbons for cheddar excellence. Cabot's gold-medal Vermont cheddars include traditional cheddar, flavored cheddar and light cheddar. ACS has now honored Cabot with a "Best Cheddar" award four times in the past decade.

"Winning this award again shows the dedication of our farmer owners and employees who remain earnestly committed to producing the finest quality cheeses," stated Cabot President and CEO Rich Stammer. Cabot boasts an impressive history of victories at major national and international competitions. Over the past five years alone, Cabot has been judged "Best Cheddar" and "Best Flavored Cheese" at the World Championship Cheese Contest, "Best Cheddar" and "Best Aged Cheddar" at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, "Most Outstanding Cheese" at the National Milk Producers Federation Contest and "Outstanding Classic" at the International Fancy Food Show, in addition to the American Cheese Society honors.

Cabot's total of three blue ribbons was unsurpassed at this year's contest. Cabot captured 1st place in the "Cow's Milk Cheddar" class with an eight month old Vermont Cheddar. Cabot 50% Light Cheddar earned a 1st place tie in the class "Low Fat/Low Salt Cheeses." In the "Cheddar, Flavor Added" class, Cabot won both the 1st and 3rd place ribbons with Five Peppercorn Cheddar and Garlic & Herb Cheddar, respectively.

Cabot's was joined in success by a number of other Vermont Cheese Council members, who collectively won blue ribbons for cow's, goat's and sheep's milk cheeses. Willow Hill Farm garnered two blue ribbons for "Soft-Ripened Cheese, Sheep or Mixed Milk" and "American-Made International Style, Goat or Sheep Milk". Vermont Butter & Cheese Company won three awards, including 1st place in "Aged Goat's Milk Cheeses", 2nd place in "Butters" and 3rd place in "Feta Cheese, Goat's Milk." Grafton Village Cheese won for the first time in the "Aged Cheddars" class, completing a Vermont sweep of all blue ribbons for cow's milk cheddars. Orb Weaver Farm (2nd place in "Farmhouse Cheeses, Cow's Milk") and Taylor Farm (3rd place in "Smoked Cheeses") also ribboned.

The ACS Annual Judging relied on a team of 34 cheese evaluators from 16 states and 3 continents to select the finest American-made cheeses and butters. This year some 85 cheesemakers submitted over 375 entries that were judged on traits such as flavor, aroma and texture, as well as technical evaluation. For more information on this American Cheese Society event, visit www.cheesesociety.org.

The Vermont Cheese Council, whose goal is to advance the production and image of premier cheeses from Vermont, is a trade organization of more than two dozen Vermont cheesemakers. The Council operates to educate the general public on the high quality and diversity of Vermont cheeses. Visit Vermont cheesemakers on the web at www.vtcheese.com.

Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919 and makes a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and butter. Cabot is owned by the dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, the Northeast's premier dairy cooperative. For additional information on Cabot Creamery, "ski" our web site in Vermont at www.cabotcheese.com.