GEORGIA DAIRY WINS BLUE RIBBON WIN FROM AMERICAN CHEESE SOCIETY
Flat Creek Lodge Awarded for Caraway Cotija
Swainsboro, Georgia (August 5, 2008) – No stranger to accolades, the young Dairy at Flat Creek Lodge in Southeast Georgia brought home new honors from the prestigious American Cheese Society 25th Anniversary Conference last weekend. The competition was tough - with entries from 181 producers from 30 states and three Canadian provinces, the 2008 American Cheese Society Competition acknowledges the very top cheesemakers on the continent. Flat Creek Lodge won First Place in the Hispanic & Portuguese Flavored category for the Flat Creek Lodge Dairy team’s Caraway Cotija, a drier style of cheese similar to Parmesan with plenty of salt and picante.
“This is an exciting honor for us,” said Flat Creek’s Head Cheesemaker Dane Huebner. “You do your best to select your finest cheeses, but with more than 1,100 entries, it’s definitely a tough competition. The judges put in a lot of effort to sort through everything and find the best cheeses.” In all, the ACS Competition included 15 aesthetic judges and 15 technical judges, making the selection of winners highly professional and making the Award extremely significant.
The American Cheese Society is an active, not for profit, trade organization that encourages the understanding, appreciation and promotion of farmstead and natural specialty cheeses produced in the Americas and Canada. By providing an educational forum for cheesemakers and cheese enthusiasts, the Society fills an important gap in today’s specialty food world. Some ACS members come from small farmstead cheesemakers but they can also be industrial producers, wholesalers, distributors, retail shops, cheese media and cheese enthusiasts. Founded in 1983, ACS membership has grown to include approximately 1,400 members who are also able to work with the federal government concerning issues that involve accepted standards and practices in the production of cheese and fermented dairy products. www.cheesesociety.org
Each year, the ACS hosts the conference and world-renowned cheese competition. Unlike other cheese competitions where cheeses are graded down for technical defects, the American Cheese Society’s goal is to give positive recognition to those cheese that are of the highest quality in the aesthetic evaluation (i.e. flavor, aroma and texture), as well as their technical evaluation. As a result, the highest quality cheeses are those that the Society feels deserve the recognition of an American Cheese Society award, based on a minimum number of points awarded (totally 100 points possible) for First, Second or Third Place. In categories or sub-categories where the minimum number of points is not earned, no award was given for that category or sub-category.
“Winning this year is great inspiration for us and truly validates our efforts,” said Huebner. “We are looking forward to even better things next year.”
In addition to the blue ribbon Caraway Cotija, the Flat Creek Lodge Dairy produces a full line of artisanal cheeses including: Cheddars – Aged, Horseradish, Aztec and Thai Chili; Onion Mustard Kase; smoked cheeses such as Smokin’ Jack; the original Flat Creek Farmhouse and Farmhouse Blue; Dutch–style Leiden and cheeses flavored with herbs and other produce from the Flat Creek Lodge greenhouses. All of the cheeses are made from raw milk except the Flat Creek Feta, which is pasteurized. New Flat Creek Lodge cheese creations will be perfectly aged and ready soon including the Aged Stir Curd, Grana Kalamata Olive and White Wine Feta and the unique Vidalia Onion Kase.
The line of cheeses is available onsite at Flat Creek Lodge, distributed through Destiny Organics and many selections have also recently been making their way to restaurants and retail spaces throughout Georgia. Flat Creek’s locally produced cheeses including Thai Chili Cheddar, Mustard Kase, Onion Mustard Kase, Original Farmhouse, Farmhouse Bleu, Mozzarella and Dutch-style Leiden are now available at Whole Foods Buckhead, and cheese lovers can also sample some of the Flat Creek creations at Star Provisions. Atlanta restaurants featuring Flat Creek Lodge cheeses include Restaurant Eugene and Buckhead Life Group restaurants Pano’s & Paul’s, Chops and Pricci.
In Savannah, Flat Creek cheeses are making their way to restaurant chefs through Green Tomato Concepts. The Governor’s Mansion in Atlanta and The Cloister on Sea Island have also served Flat Creek cheeses. Retailer Out of the Blue in Blue Ridge, Georgia sells Flat Creek cheeses, and they can be sampled at Persimmon Creek Vineyards in Clayton, Georgia too. In addition to being found at the above locations, Flat Creek Lodge cheeses can always be ordered online or by telephone by getting in touch with Flat Creek Lodge directly.
Located just three hours southeast of Atlanta, Flat Creek Lodge welcomes the discerning sportsman and sportswoman to an unforgettable hunting and fishing adventure. Amid a pristine and private woodland preserve, guests can stay in the main Lodge or in a private Cottage. Visitors can enjoy many outdoor activities, relax in the Spa, or pamper themselves in the uniquely designed Japanese Bathhouse before experiencing the cuisine in the Flat Creek Lodge Dining Room. Menus feature fresh, seasonal herbs, fruits, and vegetables, wild game and seafood from the Golden Isles of Georgia. Dining on Friday and Saturday evenings is four or five courses paired with just the right wine. The 2,000-acre Flat Creek Lodge is located at 367 Bishop Chapel Church Road, Swainsboro, Georgia 30401. The Lodge can be reached at 478.237.FISH or 877.352.8273. It can also be visited online at www.flatcreeklodge.com.
###