2023 United States Championship Cheese Contest
2023 marks the 21st biennial United States Championship Cheese Contest®, the nation’s most respected and honored cheese and butter competition, hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association!
We invite you to submit your quality cheeses, butter, yogurt, and dry dairy ingredients to the contest for expert technical evaluation and to compete for prestigious awards in 113 classes.
Attend
The 2023 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest is open to the public during preliminary judging. Attendees can watch the judges as they evaluate 2,249 samples of cheese, butter, yogurt, and dry dairy ingredients.
Time & Date:
- Tuesday, February 21, 2023 | 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Location: Resch Expo, 840 Armed Forces Dr, Ashwaubenon, WI 54304
Results
Contest results will be available at the end of each judging day on February 21 and 22, 2023. Results for completed classes will be uploaded on our results page here.
MyEntries© users can view their scoresheets in their accounts after results are posted. On the homepage of the user dashboard, access and view scoresheets under “Your Most Recent Results”.
Champion Announcement
Mark your calendars now and join us on Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (CT) for the live announcement of the 2023 United States Champion Cheese!
Fans of great cheese can follow along on social media for exclusive interviews with judges and competitors, a behind-the-scenes look with industry insiders, and much more. Following two and a half days of rigorous technical evaluation, the Contest culminates with the 2:00 p.m. announcement on February 23 of the Top 20 cheeses in the USA – and the winner of the prestigious United States Champion title.
The livestream will be available on our website and on the
U.S. Championship Cheese Contest Facebook page.
2023 Key Dates
Entry Opens
October 19, 2022
Early Entry Deadline
December 1, 2022
Entry Deadline
January 18, 2023
Entry Shipping Deadline
February 8, 2023
Contest Judging
February 21-23, 2023
2023 Contest Entry Kit
View our 2023 Contest Entry Kit for information on contest classes, rules, and regulations.
Contest entry submissions through MyEntries will be open from October 19, 2022, to January 18, 2023.
- Early Entry Rate: $75 – October 19, 2022 – December 1, 2022
- Entry Rate: $85 – December 2, 2022 – January 18, 2022
Enter Online with MyEntries
MyEntries©, our unique online entry system, is your personal, secure contest worksite for the Championship Cheese Contests of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. This site includes online entry; permanent storage of each year’s entry data; instant product scores and scoresheets.
MyEntries© has been newly updated, find more information about our entry system and the new entry features here.
Entry Shipping Information
Each contest entry, carefully packaged, must arrive at our shipping destination by Wednesday, February 8, 2023 (Wednesday, February 15 for fresh products).
Packing Your Entries
- Entries must be sent in their original, manufactured form (unless otherwise noted in the rules).
- Products may be sent with or without branded packaging and labels.
- Each entry needs to be sent in its own, individual box. Multiple entries may be sent together in one shipping container, but each entry should be individually boxed and marked with the Contest Shipping Tags.
- Contest Shipping Tags (Product Identification Tags):
- Print the auto-filled shipping tags from your MyEntries© account.
- Secure one tag on the exterior of the product’s box.
- Place the matching tag inside the box with the product.
Shipping Your Entries
- Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association has partnered with WOW Logistics to receive all contest entries and hold them for judging.
Wisconsin Aging and Grading Cheese also assists the Contest by sorting and organizing entries. - All products must be sent PREPAID. Shipments with freight charges due will not be accepted.
- All product entries must be received at WOW Logistics in Little Chute, WI, no later than Wednesday, February 8 (Wednesday, February 15 for fresh products). Allow sufficient time for the shipment to meet this deadline.
- Ship entries to:
- United States Championship Cheese Contest
c/o WOW Logistics
2101 Bohm Drive, Door 18
Little Chute, WI 54140 USA
Contact: Randy Swensen, WI Aging & Grading Cheese, Inc.
Telephone: (920) 687-0416*
*This telephone number is listed for use on shipping forms only.
Please direct all inquiries to Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association at 608-673-5245 or kstrohmenger@wischeesemakers.org.
- United States Championship Cheese Contest
Refund Deadline
- Entries withdrawn prior to January 18, 2023, will receive a 50% refund. Any entries withdrawn after January 18 will not receive a refund. No refund is offered for entries that fail to arrive at the contest site.