MADISON, WIS. — At the 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest (WCCC), Caputo Cheese, Prairie Farms and LaClare Creamery were among the top winners.

Caputo Cheese

Caputo Cheese’s Nodini Fresh Mozzarella won the Best of Class award in the Fresh Mozzarella category.

caputo-2.jpgSource: Caputo Cheese

“Such a proud moment for the Caputo Team!” said Natale Caputo, the company’s president and leader of Team Caputo. “The hard work and passion of our cheesemakers really shined in the contest. Not only did we take Best of Class in a category jam-packed with the greatest cheesemakers in the world, we were also able to showcase our traditional cheesemaking in our Nodini. A special thank you to all of the judges, volunteers and team at the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association.”

Prairie Farms Dairy

Prairie Farms’ cheeses and yogurts received the following awards:

  • Neufchâtel — Best of Class in Reduced Fat Soft & Semi-Soft Cheeses 
  • Baby Swiss — Third Award in Baby Swiss Style 
  • 4% Large Curd Cottage Cheese — Second Award in Cottage Cheese 
  • 4% Cottage Cheese — Third Award in Cottage Cheese 
  • Strawberry Banana Yogurt — Second Award in Lowfat Yogurt, Cow’s Milk
  • 1% Strawberry Yogurt — Third Award in Lowfat Yogurt, Cow’s Milk
prairie-farms.jpgSource: Prairie Farms Dairy

"We're starting the year with incredible momentum, and I'm proud that our Quincy and Luana teams have been recognized for their craftsmanship,” said Matt McClelland, CEO/EVP of Prairie Farms Dairy. “Making top-quality cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt is an art, and the World Championship Cheese Contest awards prove our teams are among the best in the industry. At the same time, we never lose focus on the fact that quality starts on the farm. So, the awards belong to our hard-working dairy farmers as well."

LaClare Creamery

LaClare Creamery’s Original Goat Cheese won Best of Class in the Soft Goat’s Milk Cheese category, and its Maple Bourbon Goat Cheese won Best of Class in the Soft Goat’s Milk Cheeses, Flavored with Sweet Condiments category.

laclare-2.jpgSource: LaClare Creamery

“Receiving Best of Class in not just one, but two categories at the World Championship Cheese Contest is a resounding affirmation of our team’s unrivaled commitment to crafting exceptional goat cheeses,” said Patrick Considine, national sales director at LaClare Creamery. “It truly is a testament to the passion and dedication our team pours into their craft, and we feel so honored to be recognized alongside the finest in the world.”