Published: October 11, 2008 08:48 pm      

FireFly Farms gets gold for goat cheese

Bittinger company honored at international competition

BITTINGER — FireFly Farms, producer of goat cheeses from Maryland’s Allegheny Plateau, announced that three of its aged goat cheeses received medals at the World Cheese Awards Sept. 29 in Dublin, Ireland.

Experts from around the world were in Dublin to join Irish judges and reportedly tasted and judged 2,400 cheeses.

The event was sponsored by the UK Cheese Guild and the Guild of Fine Food Retailers.

FireFly’s aged goat cheese, “Cabra LaMancha,” received a gold medal competing in a class against other rind-washed cheeses made from various milk types. FireFly’s aged goat cheese, “Merry Goat Round,” received a silver medal competing in a class against other soft goat’s milk mold-ripened cheeses. FireFly’s aged goat blue cheese, “MountainTop Bleu,” received a bronze medal competing in a class against other blue-veined cheeses of any milk variety made outside the UK, uncut, with natural rinds.

“We are ecstatic,” said FireFly’s head cheese maker, Matt Cedro. “This is a great honor for us, and we are humbled to have our cheeses recognized on the world stage. We are very proud of our line — and to receive this type of recognition is wonderful. The World Cheese Awards is the the olympics of cheese — to receive a medal is amazing, and to earn gold is indescribable. ”

Assistant cheese maker Dan Porter said, “To medal against creameries who have made cheese for generations is thrilling.”

Established in 2000, FireFly Farms is dedicated to the art of cheese making. For information on where to purchase FireFly Farms cheeses, visit www.fireflyfarms.com.