“I can’t deny it’s a labor of love and was a high from the get-go” said Utah Cheese Awards (UCA) founder, Steven Ralph Jerman of the cheese plate food competition he launched in 2017. “It’s exciting, unpredictable and I love to see the beautiful foods that come in.”
So despite a small dip in entries, the contest moved forward in 2020, and he remained optimistic. “It was easy to adapt the judging (for the COVID-19 pandemic) with the use of masks on the staff. Judges had always been at least six feet apart for the personal space that helps them concentrate,” he explained.
“The medal ceremony is another story. We decided it wasn’t prudent to try from several angles,” he continued. The event which for accounts about two-thirds of the revenue of the show was replaced by a mail-order program that he says “doesn’t seem to have the same cachet.” However with the slight decrease in entries and a doubling of judges, the competitions ran smoother than ever, he said.
The traditional Salt Lake City judging happened on August 22 at Beehive Distilling in South Salt Lake. Another judging on August 24, took place in Logan.at the Blue Square Building, a USU-owned complex at the edge of campus. The multi-use building is the home of The Aggie Chocolate Factory, show entrant Butcher’s Bunches preserves, and the host Utah Artisan Mercantile, a store selling Butcher’s Bunches products and co-packed lines with an emphasis on craft quality. Jerman said it had a “real Wonka vibe”.
Judging in Salt Lake was lead by Tosha Rustad, who is a chef and cafe owner who was recognized by the Utah Cheese Awards for being involved since it’s inception. Joining her was Mike Riedel, who writes a beer column for the Salt Lake City Weekly newspaper and his own blog, “Utah Beer News”. Tyler Wright a long time UCA volunteer sat in as well.
Judging in Logan were Barney Northrup, Executive Chef of Crumb Brothers Bakery; Liz Kennard Butcher, founder of Butcher’s Bunches and Kailey Foster, a USU agriculture and communications student who is also a reporter with Utah Public Radio, which covered the Logan judging.
Winning the coveted Best of Show in cheese was Caputo’s Market, of Salt Lake City, with “Mesa Tome”, a hard goat cheese made by Mesa Farm in the red rock country of Torrey Utah and aged in the caves of Caputo’s Market. It was described as firm, complex, and tangy. Winning best of show in category 2, rest of the plate, was Butcher’s Bunches in the sweet sauce category with “Lemon Pineapple Rosemary Pig Jam” . It was described as smooth, lemony, not too sweet. It is made for the Salt Lake Valley Pig and a Jelly Jar restaurants.
Following is a complete list of winners. Results will also be posted with those of the previous years at utahcheeseawards.com. “It’s a whole lot of work to put on, but the cheesemakers are really starting to get into it and take it seriously, which is just great – it needs to happen”, Jerman concludes.
2020 Competed Results
Division 1 – Cheese
SWISS
Gold
Old World Swiss – Gossner Foods
Silver
Swiss – Gossner Foods
CHEDDAR
Gold
White Pine Vintage Cheddar – Aggie Creamery
Silver
White Aged Cheddar – Gossner Foods
Bronze
House Cheddar – Caputo’s Market
HARD
Gold
Aggiano – Aggie Creamery
INTERIOR ADJUNCTS
Gold
Wasatch Back Jack – Heber Valley Artisan Cheese
Silver
Cracked Pepper and Chive – Heber Valley Artisan Cheese
Cowboy Cheddar – Hollow Farms
Red Butte Hatch Chile – Beehive Cheese Co.
Bronze
Pepper Cheddar- Hollow Farms
Jalapeno Cheddar – Hollow Farms
EXTERIOR ADJUNCTS
Gold
Barely Buzzed – Beehive Cheese Co.
Truffle Hive – Beehive Cheese Co.
Silver
Cinnamon Honey Cheddar – Heber Valley Artisan Cheese
Bronze
Sea Hive – Beehive Cheese Co.
Tea Hive – Beehive Cheese Co
CURD
Gold
Southwest Fiesta Curd – Hollow Farms
Hickory Garlic Curd – Hollow Farms
Squeaky Bee Curd – Beehive Cheese Co.
Silver
Green Chili Curd – Hollow Farms
Honey Smoked Curd – Hollow Farms
Bronze
Hoppin’ Jalapeno Curd – Hollow Farms
MOZZARELLA
Gold
House Burrata – Caputo’s
SOFT
Gold
Crottin – Mesa Farm
Silver
Brie – Park City Creamery Truffle Brie – Park City Creamery
Bronze
Swiss and Onion Spread – Gossner Foods
GOAT SHEEP
Gold
Mesa Tome – Caputo’s Market
Silver
Barely Legal – Caputo’s Market
Bronze
Silver Queen Aged Goat – Park City Creamery
BEST OF SHOW
Mesa Tome – Caputo’s Market
Division 2
SWEET SAUCES
Gold
Pineapple Lemon Rosemary Pig Jam – Butcher’s Bunches
Silver
Watermelon Salted Caramel – Butcher’s Bunches
Jacked Up – Four Country Gals
Bronze
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam – Butcher’s Bunches
SAVORY SAUCES
Gold
Citrus Black Pepper Berry Sauce – Butcher’s Bunches
Shield Maiden Hot Sauce – Z’s Hot Sauce Mustard Hot Sauce – Z’s Hot Sauce
Silver
Serrano Margarita Hot Sauce – Tongue Spank
Bronze
Bloody Mary Mix – Z’s Hot Sauce
HONEY
Gold
Mountain Honey – Cox Honeyland
DRIED FRUIT
Gold
Monty’s Dried Montmorency Cherries – Payson Fruit Packers
BEST OF SHOW
Pineapple Lemon Rosemary Pig Jam – Butcher’s Bunches