From Grand Trunk to Grand Champion, Stonetown Artisan Cheese wins consecutive top prize at SIAL Canada International Cheese competition

From left, Ramon Eberle, Hans Weber and Wendy Furtenbacher with the award-winning Wildwood and Grand Trunk cheeses at the SIAL Canada International Cheese Competition.

By Emily Stewart

St. Marys cheesemaker Stonetown Artisan Cheese won the top prize in an international cheese competition for the second time in a row.

Stonetown Artisan Cheese won the grand champion prize at SIAL Canada’s International Cheese Competition for their Grand Trunk Gruyere-style cheese. The Grand Trunk also earned the Swiss cheese category champion title at the April competition in Toronto. The SIAL Canada International Cheese Competition featured about 200 cheeses from around the world.

Stonetown’s Wildwood cheese also earned the firm-cheese-category champion title and a special award from Dairy Farmers of Canada for Best Canadian Cow’s Milk Cheese.

The St. Marys cheesemaker’s newest accolades were earned in conjunction with its 10-year anniversary.

“It just kind of puts the bow around the last 10 years and a reward for the hard work that everyone puts in here at this place,” co-owner and cheesemaker Ramon Eberle said of the win.

Stonetown Artisan Cheese won grand champion previously in 2023 with their Wildwood cheese.

“We experienced more sales with that cheese. This year, we won with the Grand Trunk and we’re hoping for the same result,” Eberle said. “We already got a bunch of big orders, actually, this week for that cheese.”

Eberle was also part of a 14-judge panel for the SIAL Canada International Cheese Competition. As he was among retired cheesemakers and culinary instructors, Eberle was the only judge who submitted cheeses for the contest.

The organizers made sure Eberle did not taste or judge his own cheese during the deliberations. Eberle voted for another cheesemaker’s product he liked instead.

“Ethically, I can’t vote for my own cheese, so I’m just going to choose a different cheese that I like and if we have the best cheese, then there’s going to be enough other judges that vote for our cheese,” he said.

However, three judges were absent, so the odds of winning seemed lower for Stonetown until it claimed victory.

“It was even more satisfying to see that we won grand champion,” Eberle said.

He added the support for the cheeses from local residents is always appreciated.

“It keeps us going, motivates us every day and we’ll keep up the good work for sure,” Eberle said.

Stonetown Artisan Cheese has been a finalist for more than 25 awards in several competitions over the years.