Recent Awards
Burnett Dairy Co-op Cheese Factory's cheeses continue their success with awards in the 2011 U.S. competition season.
This year's entries from Burnett Dairy brought home quite a few awards! Taking Best of Class was both the Mozzarella String and the Mild Cheddar! Mozzarella String, Smoked String and Aged Provolone received a 2nd place award and another Aged Provolone rounded it out with a 3rd in its category. The Cheesemaker U.S. Championship competition continues to grow exponentially, topping at over 2,000 entries this year from all over the world!
The World Championship award ceremony takes place in mid April. Burnett Dairy Cooperative employs two of the state's 50 Master Cheese Makers and several Wisconsin licensed cheese makers.
This commitment and the agricultural communities' longevity have placed Burnett Dairy at the top of the list in quality, consistency and commitment ever since their 1st premium award at the Wisconsin State Fair in 1898 as a butter entry in the dairy competition.
Master Cheese Makers
Burnett Dairy Cooperative is proud to have two master cheese makers, Steve Tollers and Bruce Willis.
Master Cheese Makers meet strict standards set down by Center of Dairy Research, where to enter the program each participant must have 10 years of cheese making experience and 5 years in the variety they wish to specialize in.
Once accepted into the program they must fulfill a requirement to further their knowledge in cheese making from Technology, Artisanship, Grading and Quality assurance. Further study is done in elective courses of applied dairy chemistry, business and marketing, whey processing, water and waste management, and pasteurization and process control. These courses are in addition to the apprenticeship they must complete. They truly earn the title of being a master.
To demonstrate that they are a master in the art of making a particular cheese variety, the cheesemaker apprentice is required to submit samples of cheese for evaluation which is conducted by a designated committee to ensure cheese quality and consistency. The apprenticeship assures that those receiving the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker certification embody the skill and passion for cheesemaking that is Wisconsin's greatest heritage.
Wisconsin has the nation's first and only advanced training certification for cheesemakers. This carries forward the 160 years of traditions that were brought from Europe by the original pioneers.
