Ohio’s top cheesemakers recognized at the 2026 Ohio State Fair Cheese Contest

Grand Champion and Reserve Champion cheesemakers were selected on Thursday, July 23 at the 2026 Ohio State Fair Cheese Contest held at Miceli Dairy Products in Cleveland.

The American Dairy Association Mideast, which coordinated the event, is pleased to announce that Pearl Valley Cheese of Fresno received the Grand Champion award for its Swiss cheese. As is tradition in the Ohio State Fair Cheese Contest, the Grand Champion Cheese is selected from entries in the Swiss class. Following that selection, judges choose the Reserve Champion Cheese from among the first-place winners in all contest classes, recognizing the competition’s overall outstanding cheese. This year’s Reserve Champion award was presented to Urban Stead Cheese of Cincinnati for its Nati Gouda.

Winners of the contest by classification are as follows:

Swiss Class:

First Place      Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno

Second Place Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno

Other Swiss Class:

First Place      Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Baby Swiss

Second Place Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Lacey Baby 

Mild Cheddar Class:

First Place      Snowville Creamery, Pomeroy 

Second Place Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield

Third Place      Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati

Aged Cheddar Class:

First Place      Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati

Second Place Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield

Surface Mold Bloomy Class:           

First Place      Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati – Misty River Camembert

Second Place Black Radish Creamery, Granville – Bankston 

Third Place      Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland – Lapworth Peppercorn

Bacteria Ripened Class:

First Place      Black Radish Creamery, Granville – Pious

Second Place Black Radish Creamery, Granville – Raclette

Third Place      Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland – High Heaven Triple Cream

Spreadable Class:

First Place      Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati – Pineapple Jalapeno Quark

Second Place Miceli Dairy Products, Cleveland – Impasta

Third PlaceBlue Jacket Dairy, Bellefontaine – Quark

Cheese Curd Class:

First Place      Blue Jacket Dairy, Bellefontaine – Garlic

Second Place Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati – Plain

Third Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Mixed

Open Class – Traditional:

First Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Co-Jack

Second Place Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Colby

Third Place      Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Marbled

Open Class – Flavored:

First Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Colby Bacon

Second Place Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Garlic Dill

Third Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Garlic Chive

Open Class – Spicy:

First Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Horseradish

Second Place Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Pepper Jack

Third Place      Biery Cheese Co., Louisville – Horseradish

Rind or Permeable Rind Class:

First Place      Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati – Nati Gouda

Second Place Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Muenster

Third Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Gouda

Smoked Class:

First Place      Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Smoked Swiss

Second Place Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Smoked Thunder Jack

Third Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Smoked Habanero 

Other Mammal Class:

First Place      Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland – Trafalgar Cognac

Second Place Blue Jacket Dairy, Bellefontaine – Chevre

Third Place      Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland – Elmstead

“I’m continually impressed by the quality, variety and creativity of Ohio’s cheesemakers,” said Tracy Enslen, vice president of business development for ADA Mideast. “From traditional favorites to innovative flavor profiles, this year’s entries showcased the exceptional craftsmanship of our state’s dairy industry. Congratulations to all of this year’s participants and winners.”

Judges for the contest included Steve Funk of Nelson-Jameson Inc, Aileen Kacvinsky of Schuman Cheese, Frank McWhirter of Great Lakes Cheese and Bill Rufenacht of the Dairy Connection. Scores verified by Mary Wilcox of Significant Outcomes LLC.