Local cheesemaker rides high in Wisc.

By BRAD DICKERSON
Glasgow Daily Times

GLASGOW May 14, 2008 05:36 pm

— Glasgow’s Bluegrass Dairy and Food went up against the best cheeses in the world and came out near the top of the Colby heap.
The company’s Colby flavor placed third in that category at the 27th Biennial World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisc., in March.
Their award was presented at the Wisconsin Cheesemaker’s Banquet on April 24.
“It was about a point that separated us from first place, it was so tight,” said Billy Joe Willliams, with Bluegrass Dairy.
First place in the Colby class, with a score of 99.60, was Glanbia Foods Inc., of Twin Falls, Idaho. Second place went to Deutsch Kase Haus Inc., of Middlebury, Ind., with a score of 99.55.
Bluegrass Dairy’s score was 99.20.
Williams said his company also scored seventh in the medium cheddar category.
“When you get in the top 10, you’re pretty proud,” he said.
The various criteria used in judging the cheeses is body, texture, flavor, color and packaging, according to Williams. This the third year his company has entered the competition as Bluegrass Dairy.
“Years ago, when this plant was Dairyman Incorporated, we scored first place in mozzarella,” he said.
The company’s 2008 re-cognition will be included in future publications, such as Cheese Market News, ac-cording to Williams.
There are also plans to advertise their product’s re-cognition on a world stage.
“We’ve already been ap-proached with moving our Colby with an additional small label that will say, ‘world winner,’” Williams said.