Westland Kaasspecialiteiten

Old Amsterdam Wins Best of Class 2010 Wisconsin World Championship Cheese Contest

March 19, 2010…Westland Kaasspecialiteiten BV, located in Huizen, The Netherlands, makers of Old Amsterdam, won Best of Class in the Aged Gouda Categoryat this year’s Wisconsin World Championship Cheese Contest.

Old Amsterdam received 99.6, the top-ranking score among 39 Aged Goudas entered by five nations.  The World Championship Cheese Contest is a technical evaluation that uses an objective measure of cheese defects to select the products in each class which best exemplify perfection. The highest scoring cheeses earn a gold medal, with silver and bronze medals awarded to second and third place finishers in each class.

“We’re both proud and humbled by this experience,” said Jasper Swart, Director of Sales for Westland USA.  “This highly competitive category showcased many of the finest Aged Goudas from around the world and we’re delighted to receive such an honour.  Our master cheese makers work tirelessly to maintain consistent perfection in our Old Amsterdam and their dedication is worthy of a gold.”

Old Amsterdam is prepared using a family owned starter culture and unique ripening process, created by the Dutch Westland family.  Master cheese makers constantly monitor the taste and quality, releasing each batch only when it reached the perfect taste and texture:  sweet and savoury, with a rich, smooth texture, easy sliceable and sparked with fine ripening crystals.

Entries in the 2010 World Championship Cheese Contest rose 18 percent, with 2,313 cheeses and butters presented by 20 nations from around the world.  The contest’s judging panel is comprised of 30 international cheese evaluation experts who worked three days to select medallists in 80 cheese and butter classes.

For U.S. Sales Information, Contact:  Ruth Flore, Marketing Manager for Old Amsterdam Brand, at Norseland, Inc. -1290 East Main Street, Stamford, CT  06902 -1-800-326-5620, rflore@norseland.com. Or contact Jasper Swart, Sales Director Westland USA, 917 558 2704, jasper.swart@westland-kaas.com