To date the company has won 66 ACS awards including four Best of Show
Seattle, Washington – Seattle cheesemaker, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, was recently named 3rd Place Best of Show for their Flagship Reserve at the 41st annual American Cheese Society (ACS) competition. First and Second place honors went to Quebec cheesemakers, giving Beecher’s the honor of best United States-made artisan cheese in America.
The competition saw a remarkable number of entries this year, with 1,596 submissions from cheesemakers across North America. The entries were judged across 133 categories, resulting in 380 awards, including a 1st Place in the Cheddar Wrapped in Cloth category for Flagship Reserve. Flagship Reserve has won in its category 12 times in the last 18 years and was named 2nd place Best of Show in 2007.
“Nearly twenty-one years ago, my family started this little cheesemaking operation in Pike Place Market. To be standing here all these years later with Beecher’s cheeses named among the best of the best is an incredible honor,” said Beecher’s founder, Kurt Beecher Dammeier. “We have an incredible team of talented and passionate cheesemakers, and this is really a testament to their craft. I’m excited and proud to celebrate with them.”
Beecher’s Flagship Reserve is a clothbound cow’s milk cheese, aged for at least 13 months. A special version of their signature Flagship cheese, it offers a robust, nutty flavor with a concentrated, longer finish of caramel and fruit. During production, the cheese is wrapped in cloth, rubbed in butter, and open-air aged, allowing for 14 to 16% moisture loss, condensing the rich flavor.
In addition to the two awards for Flagship Reserve, Beecher’s also took home 1st place for their Extra Aged Flagship in the Mature Cheddar category, 2nd place for their Plain Cheese Curds in the Cheese Curds category, and 3rd place for their Marco Polo Reserve in the Cheddar with Flavor Added category.
The ACS Competition shines the spotlight on cheesemakers across North and South America by showcasing their talents and work as leaders within the industry, both for their excellent cheesemaking and commitment to food safety.
Beecher’s is just one pillar of Sugar Mountain, a 24-year-old creative food company located in Seattle, WA, known for its trusted deliciousness across a variety of food brands and restaurants. In addition to the award- winning Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Sugan Mountain owns The Butcher’s Table, a modern steakhouse and butcher shop, Mishima Reserve, a luxury American Wagyu beef brand, and Pasta & Co, a convenient neighborhood market providing ready-to-eat-or-heat foods made fresh daily in their kitchens. The company is a pioneer in clean food and at the forefront of sustainability and changing the way America eats.
Fans can purchase Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in local retailers across the country.
About Beecher’s
Founded in 2003, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese is an urban cheesemaker operating in a glass-walled cheesemaking kitchen in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. Beecher’s produces a premium line of foods free of artificial food additives, including handmade cheese, gourmet crackers, soups, and frozen entrees and side dishes, such as the popular “World’s Best” Mac & Cheese. Beecher’s products are sold at the best grocery stores nationwide. For more information, visit beecherscheese.com or its parent company website, sugarmtn.net. A percentage of all Beecher’s sales goes to support The Beecher’s Foundation.
