Great cheese is one of life’s most beloved delicacies, and Rogue Creamery knows a thing or two about great cheese. The longstanding cheesemaker was recently honored with a 2023 Good Food Award for its Smokey Blue Cheese, recognized for its innovative and sustainable approach to artisan cheesemaking.
“Our entire team at Rogue Creamery is so proud to win a Good Food Award for Smokey Blue,” commented Plant Manager Immanuel Rodriguez. “This is partly because this competition—more than any other in which we participate each year—reflects our ambitions to use cheese as a force for good.”
The smoked blue cheese was selected as a top scorer in both a blind taste test evaluating the quality of the product as well as an independent assessment of the company’s overall sustainability and social responsibility initiatives conducted annually by the Good Food Foundation. Two of Rogue Creamery’s 2023 submissions, Smokey Blue and Caveman Blue, were named as 2023 finalists, standing out among nearly 2,000 entries.
“To be recognized by such a respected organization and nominated among a gathering of amazing companies is an immense honor,” Rodriguez continued. “I hope it inspires other food companies to evaluate their own impact on their community and environment.”
As a press release explained, Smokey Blue is made with certified Organic pasteurized cow’s milk before it is cave-aged and eventually cold-smoked for many hours over Oregon hazelnut shells; this process infuses the cheese with unique aromas of barrel-aged vanilla, bread pudding, and candied bacon, producing spicy-sweet flavors and a mild “blue” finish.
Smokey Blue has been recognized with numerous other awards in the past 15 years, including a prestigious Innovation Award at SIAL Paris in 2006. The company’s award was announced at the Good Food Foundation’s 13th annual Good Food Awards ceremony in Portland, Oregon, on April 21.
Congratulations to Rogue Creamery on this impressive industry honor!
