Best in Show: Indiana’s Award-Winning Artisan Cheesemakers
DROOL WORTHY
Indiana cheeses pictured above
- Jacobs & Brichford: Everton
- Tulip Tree Creamery: Hops
- Capriole: Sofia
- Capriole: Julianna
- Jacobs & Brichford: Ameribella
- Capriole: O’Banon
- Caprini: Feta
- Tulip Tree Creamery: Trillium
- Tulip Tree Creamery: Nettle
- Tulip Tree Creamery: Dutchman’s Breeches
The artisan cheese movement is alive and well in the Midwest, and thanks to hardworking local makers and farmers Indiana-made cheeses have gained acclaim at a national level. At the 36th annual American Cheese Society (ACS) Judging & Competition in 2019, four Indiana cheesemakers earned top honors and distinguished themselves as some of the best makers in the Midwest, if not the country.
Their accomplishments not only reflect their talent and skill but also identify Indiana as a rapidly growing producer in the artisan cheese industry. As more members of the Indiana community seek homegrown products, local cheesemakers are rising to meet the demand.
CHAMPION CHEESEMAKERS
The ACS Judging & Competition honors the highest-quality cheeses and cultured dairy products from across the Americas. The anonymous judging process uses a unique scoring system designed to rate each entry holistically, says ACS Executive Director Nora Weiser.
“We have a pair of judges for each category: one technical and one aesthetic. Most cheese competitions have only technical judges, who deduct points for technical flaws in the cheese. We add an aesthetic judge to each category who can assess the unique, positive qualities of the cheese as well,” she says.
Across 1,742 entries, four Indiana makers placed at the 2019 ACS Competition: Caprini Creamery, Capriole Goat Cheese, Jacobs & Brichford Farmstead Cheese and Tulip Tree Creamery.
Caprini Creamery won first place in the goat-milk feta category. At their Central Indiana farm, owners Kristy Kikly and Mike Hoopengardner produce chèvre, feta, bloomy rind cheeses and aged cheeses from their herd of Nigerian Dwarf and Oberhasli goats.
The southern Indiana–based Capriole Goat Cheese earned second place in the washed rind goat milk cheese category for their Mont St. Francis variety. Founder Judy Schad began producing cheese in 1988 on her family’s 80-acre farm located 80 miles north of the Ohio River.
Jacobs & Brichford Farmstead Cheese placed third in the farmstead cheeses category for their Everton, an Alpine-style cheese that won a Good Food Award in 2014. On their family farm located in southeastern Indiana’s Whitewater River Valley, Leslie Jacobs and Matthew Brichford produce cheeses from their Jersey, Normande and Tarentaise cross cows.
Indianapolis-based Tulip Tree Creamery secured third place in external blue mold cheeses for their Dutchman’s Breeches, a significant achievement considering that blue mold cheeses tend to be more prominent along the West Coast of the United States. Founded in 2014 by Fons Smits and Laura Davenport, the company uses milk from local family farms and follows traditional European recipes with a twist.
Feta, Mont St. Francis, Everton, Dutchman’s Breeches—each of these cheeses and their makers earned acclaim at the ACS competition. But their successes also reflect how these local, small-scale cheesemakers promote Indiana cheese across the nation.
THE ARTISAN CHEESE MOVEMENT
As one of Indiana’s cheesemaking pioneers, Judy Schad, founder of Capriole, has charted the progression of the craft cheese industry.
“The artisan cheese movement began over 35 years ago, primarily on the coasts. After that, it took another 15 to 20 years for the movement to grow into the heartland in any way that was sustainable for a local or regional producer,” she says.
The Midwest market has only started growing substantially within the last 10 years. And though it may seem like a relatively short amount of time, Indiana cheesemakers have already made an impact within the local community and national industry.
“It isn’t necessarily that the production of cheese in Indiana has grown rapidly, but rather that some of the cheeses have been garnering awards. There is a lot of hard work that goes into cheese production and it is deeply gratifying to be acknowledged through awards,” says Leslie, co-founder of Jacobs & Brichford Farmstead Cheese.
The awards not only distinguish the superiority of the cheeses, but also recognize the Indiana cheesemakers themselves.
“The quality of the cheeses rests solely with the cheesemakers. The fact that they are winning awards and being recognized for their work is a testament to their ingenuity, hard work and passion for doing things well,” says Nora.
MOVING FORWARD
As the artisan cheese movement gains popularity across the Midwest, these award-winning makers demonstrate the value of meticulous craft, dedication and the support of a local community.
“Our focus continues to be finding ways to grow in this niche market. We enjoy building relationships with our customers so that we all benefit,” says Leslie. “The changing awareness of consumers about the foods they eat and a focus on local or sustainable products enhances the visibility of local producers like us.”
The desire to support local and sustainable foods has inspired more local residents to explore the area’s artisan cheesemakers.
“States like Indiana are embracing the farm-totable and local-food movements that began in other parts of the country. As consumers are seeking out more natural, local and traditional foods, Indiana producers are stepping up to meet that demand,” says Nora.
And so it continues—our Indiana community seeks out local foods while our makers rise to share their products and talents, all the while reshaping public perception about what good, healthful, local food can be.
“Cheese boards and charcuterie boards are sometimes more about condiments and fillers like fruit and crackers than they are about the cheese,” says Judy. But with so many award-winning cheesemakers in our Indiana community, that table may soon turn for good.
JUDGE AND JURY
The American Cheese Society Competition and the Good Food Awards are two of the premier competitions for artisan cheesemakers.
American Cheese Society
Each year the American Cheese Society hosts a competition to honor cheesemakers who create products with exceptional flavor, aroma, texture and appearance. The 2019 competition received 1,742 entries from 35 states.
Good Food Awards
Sponsored by the Good Food Foundation, the Good Food Awards recognize superior makers and their products that excel in craftsmanship, flavor and social responsibility. With nearly 200 winners each year, the competition receives over 2,000 entries from all 50 states. In 2020, Capriole took home a Good Food Award for their Sofia cheese—the only Indiana cheese to win a Good Food Award this year.
And the winners are...
Here’s how Hoosier cheesemakers ranked at the 36th annual American Cheese Society Competition and the 2020 Good Food Awards.
CAPRINI CREAMERY: First place, goat-milk feta
CAPRIOLE GOAT CHEESE: Second place, washed rind goat-milk cheese, Mont St. Francis; 2020 Good Food Award, Sofia goat-milk cheese
JACOBS & BRICHFORD FARMSTEAD CHEESE: Third place, farmstead cheeses, Everton
TULIP TREE CREAMERY: Third place, external blue mold cheeses, Dutchman’s Breeches
2020 CHEESE TRENDS AND TARIFFS
Look out for these three cheese trends this year, according to industry expert and ACS Executive Director Nora Weiser.
Goat- and sheep-milk cheeses. Continuing to gain popularity, cheeses made from goat and sheep milk provide an alternative to cow-milk cheeses and a healthful way to enjoy cheese. Ideal for those sensitive to lactose, these cheeses also benefit those who follow a ketogenic diet, as they offer a source of protein and fats.
Blue cheeses. At the 2019 World Cheese Awards in Bergamo, Italy, a blue cheese earned the title of World’s Best Cheese. The winner, Rogue River Blue from Oregon producer Rogue Creamery, was also the first U.S. cheese to earn the honor. This worldwide win indicates an increased awareness, appreciation and demand for blue cheeses.
Higher prices. With a 25% tariff on imported cheeses from the European Union, many international cheeses will have higher prices at the store, including Gruyere, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gouda. An increased demand for cheese with a decreased international supply could also impact the prices of North American–made cheeses, which might also increase in cost.
MEET THE MAKERS: Q & A with these award winners.
Q: When and where did you start producing cheese?
Caprini: We started in 2011 in Spiceland, Indiana.
Capriole: I started making cheese in the kitchen in the late 1970s and commercially in 1988. We produce the cheese on our Greenville farm.
Jacobs & Brichford: Our cheese is produced on our family farm in Connersville, Indiana. The farm has been in our family since 1819.
Tulip Tree: We started in 2014 on the northwest side of Indianapolis. At our facility, we make all of our cheeses and have a classroom where we teach cheesemaking and butter making classes. We don’t have a retail store, so we depend on our sales to distributors and farmers markets.
Q: How much cheese did you produce in 2019?
Caprini: We have steadily increased our production over the years and in 2019 we produced approximately 10,000 pounds. We are projecting a 10% increase in production for 2020.
Capriole: We produced around 100,000 pounds in 2019. Our growth increases very little each year because growth is dictated by our current milk supply and the small size of our facility. Moreover, we make very specific fragile cheeses that require retailers and distributors that really know what they’re about.
Jacobs & Brichford: We produced 20,000 pounds. We would like to sell 10% to 20% more cheese in the coming year.
Tulip Tree: In 2019, we processed approximately 38,000 gallons of milk to produce around 38,000 pounds of cheese. In 2020, we plan to increase production about 15% to 20%.
Q: What is your best-selling cheese?
Caprini: Chèvre. Chèvre is a very versatile cheese and pairs well with both savory and sweet foods. I really like chèvre with fresh greens and beets.
Capriole: Sofia and Julianna. Sofia is a ripened goat cheese that ripens across a spectrum of tart, silky, velvety and runny textures. Julianna, an aged semifirm goat-milk cheese, has a natural rind dusted with wildflowers and Herbes de Provence.
Jacobs & Brichford: Everton. Everton is very versatile. Being an alpine-style cheese similar to a Comte, it pairs well with apples, pears and grapes as well as salted nuts and charcuterie. As for an alcohol pairing, Everton does well with bourbon, which complements the caramel notes in the cheese.
Tulip Tree: Trillium cheese. It’s a triple-cream cheese that pairs with about anything—it goes with chocolate, dark fruit jam, medium-bodied red wine (like Pinot Noir) and creamy milk stout beers.
Q: What is your favorite cheese?
Caprini: Erythronium, our small geotrichum-rind cheese. I like it with fig jam on toast.
Capriole: It varies with the stage of ripeness, but it’s usually the Piper’s Pyramide or the Wabash Cannonball. The smoked paprika in Piper’s Pyramide pairs well with grilled peppers, ripe melons and gin cocktails. The surface-ripened Wabash Cannonball complements grilled figs, green salads and risottos.
Jacobs & Brichford: Everton is our favorite, but second to it is our JQ, a creamy mold-ripened cheese that is delicious on crusty bread and does well with all kinds of fruits. It would pair well with a bold red that would highlight the earthy notes of the cheese.
Tulip Tree: My favorite cheese that we make is Foxglove. It’s a stinky washed rind cheese and I think it pairs great with apples—my favorite way to eat just about any cheese. I love it with a spicy pineapple jam. It also pairs nicely with salami, dark beer and cornichons.
Learn more about these creameries.
