MILTON, Iowa — Milton Creamery raised the American flag on unfamiliar cheese-making soil in late November.
The small Iowa company’s signature cheese won a gold medal at the World Cheese Awards in London, England, during judging on Nov. 24. Milton Creamery is owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Rufus and Jane Musser. The Musser’s son, Galen, is the head cheesemaker. Sons Rufus IV and Mark are also involved in the rural Milton family business.
Milton Creamery’s Prairie Breeze cheddar cheese was judged “the highest example of the category” in the “Extra Mature Creamery Cheddar, aged 9 -12 months" competition. The Milton Creamery entry was the only American winner along with 11 British cheddars which were honored with gold, silver or bronze medals in the category.
“We’re very honored by the award,” said Milton Creamery co-owner Rufus Musser. “To have Prairie Breeze recognized as the equal of some of the best cheese makers in the world is very rewarding. The ultimate prize for us, of course, is to create cheeses that delight our customers, but we’re pleased that the quality and care we put into our products has been recognized as among the best in the world.”
The World Cheese Awards (WCA) is the world’s largest international cheese competition. The Guild of Fine Foods in Britain has organized the competition for more than two decades. The WCA is held to “evaluate and reward quality and excellence in the global cheese industry with more than 200 experts from 16 countries, including leading cheese buyers, retail experts, chefs and food journalists at the judging,” according to the Guild.
More than 2,600 cheeses from the United Kingdom, Europe, United States, South Africa and the Australia were expected at the contest. The 2010 contest was held as part of the BBC Good Food Show, a massive trade show in London that was open to the public. Some 100,000 consumers were allowed to sample the cheeses after the judging was complete.
The World Cheese Award gold adds to the accolades for Prairie Breeze. The Milton Creamery flagship cheese also won Best in Class for the Open Category of the 2009 U.S. Cheese Championships and a gold medal at the 2009 American Cheese Society championships. After success in American competitions, the Mussers put Prairie Breeze up against the best in the world.
The achievements are an impressive feat for a cheese maker founded less than five years ago.
Rufus and Jane Musser grew up in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, and moved to southeast Iowa in 1992 due to high land prices in their native state. Initially, the Mussers milked their own cows. Later, at the urging of two neighboring Amish dairymen, the Mussers founded Milton Creamery and produced their first batch of cheese on May 8, 2006.
The operation started with cheddar and fresh curds, and then expanded to colby before the Mussers developed their signature product, Prairie Breeze, a bold cheddar with its own twist. Later the creamery introduced their noted wheel cheese, Prairie Rose.
Milton Creamery continues to use 18,000 to 20,000 pounds of milk per week purchased from five area Amish farms.
“A lot of credit for our success has to go to the families who produce our milk,” said Musser. “These are wonderful people who operate small, family farms where every cow is treated with the utmost care and given nothing but wholesome, all-organic food with absolutely no additives. These awards are really a tribute to our milk suppliers as well.”
Milton Creamery cheeses are available at fine shops and grocery stores throughout the Midwest. For more information, please visit here.
About Milton Creamery:
Founded in 2006 by the husband-and-wife team of Rufus and Jane Musser, Milton Creamery is a small, family-owned-and-operated artisan cheese maker near Milton, Iowa. The Musser’s son, Galen, is the head cheesemaker, and sons Rufus IV and Mark are also involved in the family business. Milton Creamery uses only milk from nearby Amish family farms in their cheeses, which are hand-crafted using a unique combination of old-world, labor-intensive processes and modern, high-tech efficiencies and tools. Milton Creamery’s cheeses have won national and international awards for taste and quality. Success allowed the creamery to expand in 2010.
SOURCE Milton Creamery