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Dotdash Meredith / Janet Maples
No one does cheese quite like Tillamook. And you don’t have to take our word: The brand has the awards to prove it. Last spring, Tillamook won “Best Of Class” at the 2024 World Champion Cheese Contest for its Sharp Cheddar. Later, it clinched “Best USA Cheese Any Variety” and was also named the best Cheddar in the world for its 2014 Reserve Extra Sharp White Cheddar.
But the West Coast-based company’s success wasn’t overnight—it’s been more than a century in the making. This week, in celebration of National Cheddar Day (appropriately founded by Tillamook), the creamery is honoring its humble beginnings and giving away a boatload (yes, a literal boatload) of cheese.
How To Get Free Tillamook Cheese
To celebrate the brand’s 116th birthday, Tillamook is giving away nearly 2,000 pounds of award-winning cheese. It’s a move the brand says is inspired by its history.
In the early days of the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA), boats were the primary mode of delivery for the booming cheese business due to a lack of accessible roads in Tillamook, Ore. Eventually, TCCA built the Morning Star, which sailed the Columbia River and delivered products to Portland, Ore., a rapidly growing trade hub. That ship became a symbol of the brand’s connection to the world and is still featured in its blue-and-white logo.
“Generations of dairy fans have fueled our passion for delivering premium Cheddar, and that’s why we are going overboard this year by gifting a literal boatload of cheese,” said Kate Boltin, Executive Vice President of Marketing at TCCA.
The TCCA was officially formed on Feb. 13, 1909, so starting Feb. 13 through Feb. 20, fans will have the chance to win 1,909 pounds of cheese by entering the contest on Tillamook’s website.
To put that amount of cheese in perspective, it’s about 45 times more than the average American consumes in a year. In addition to the massive cheese giveaway, Tillamook will also be distributing thousands of free cheese coupons, each worth up to $6.
But to the person who wins the boatload of cheese: we’ve got you covered beyond just snacking on it. You’ll need plenty of recipe ideas, whether it’s a new take on mac and cheese, a warming bowl of soup, or how to assemble a charcuterie board. Our guess is that you’ll be on the lookout for all of them—and more.
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