Wildwood Wins Grand Champion, Variety Cheese – Cow Milk at The 2025 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Cheese and Butter Competition
Stonetown Artisan Cheese has won 4 awards at the recent judging of the Royal Agricultural Fair, Cheese and Butter Competition, including the honour of being awarded Grand Champion, Variety Cheese – Cow Milk.
Wildwood earned a 1st place finish for the Firm and Hard – Surface Ripened, Brushed and Natural Rind category, and Grand Trunk placed 2nd in the same category. In addition to those wins, Farmstead Fontina earned the 1st place finish in the Semi Soft, Interior Ripened category.
“We are very happy and proud to have these cheeses and their wins.” says cheesemaker Ramon Eberle. “Wildwood is such a special cheese, and the depth of flavour achieved is only possible through excellent care taking during its lengthy ripening process and the quality of the milk produced on the farm.”
Wildwood previously won Grand Champion at the 2023 SIAL Canada competition and earlier this year, it also won Category Champion – Firm Cheese and Best Canadian Cow’s Milk Cheese at the 2025 SIAL Canada’s International Cheese Competition. At the same competition, our Grand Trunk earned the Grand Champion title, as well winning a top 3 Best in Show placement at the American Cheese Society Cheese Competition this summer. Over 36 competition wins throughout the years for Stonetown.
Named after the Wildwood Dam in St Marys, this Appenzeller inspired cheese is known for delivering complex, bright flavours, a firm, yet creamy mouthfeel, and with a signature rind developed over 8-12 months, that is washed with wine yeasts and musts. A true taste of the Swiss Alps yet made right here in Ontario.
Stonetown Artisan Cheese is celebrating its 10th anniversary of farmstead cheesemaking. The founders, Hans and Jolanda Weber immigrated to Canada in 1996 to begin a new life in St Marys and started their own dairy farm with the dream of creating cheeses of the highest quality, reminiscent of those from the Swiss Alps. With the support of family and Ramon Eberle, Master Cheesemaker from Switzerland, this humble dream became a reality. The fresh milk the cows produce is processed into a handcrafted farmstead cheese. The milk is unpasteurized and has no additives, making the cheese pure and natural.