Looking Glass Creamery Medals in World Championship Cheese Competition

Looking Glass Creamery, a small family dairy farm and cheesemaking business located in Columbus, NC wins a bronze medal at the recent World Championship Cheese Competition held in Wisconsin every two years. The winning cheese, Drovers Road, was entered in the Natural Rind Cheddar division scoring a 98.275 out of 100 possible points. The competition brings together some of the best cheeses from all over the world with more than 3,300 entries from 25 countries. The family and a small group of employees milk 25 cows and process all the milk into cheese and age it in underground cellars on the same farm. “We are delighted to be in the ranks of some of the best cheesemakers nationally and internationally. To win an award for our cheddar in Wisconsin, the heart of cheddar country, is pretty awesome.” Says co-owner Andy Perkins.

Looking Glass Creamery was started in 2009 by husband and wife team, Jennifer & Andy Perkins outside of Asheville. The company started out making fresh to aged artisan cheese and expanded to include preserves, ice cream and hard cider after they purchased the farm that was their milk supply in 2017. After building a new creamery and farm store, the business was moved onto the farm in the rolling foothills of Polk County in Columbus NC. The best place to buy their cheese is directly on the Farm. It is also available for retail sale at Hickory Nut Gap Farm Store, Mill Spring Farm Store, South Slope Cheese Company, and the Chop Shop Butchery in Asheville. Drovers Road is also featured on many great restaurant menus and the company is proud to be a part of the non-profit Equal Plates Project in Asheville NC that supports local farmers in growing food that will be transformed into scratch-made, nourishing meals for vulnerable communities. Distribution is available in NC & SC and beyond via Inland Foods.

The company will be a full-time vendor at a nearby farmers market for the first time in years. “We are looking forward to participating in the Hub City Farmers Market in Spartanburg now that we are getting settled on the farm.” says Jennifer Perkins, co-owner. Spartanburg,SC is the closest urban center to the farm and an easy 25 minute drive on Highway 9. The farm is also centrally located between Greenville, Asheville, and Charlotte. It sits amid the horse farms and wineries in Polk county making a great addition to an afternoon trip to the country and as a family friendly destination.

Visit the farm at 115 Harmon Dairy Lane, Columbus NC 28722. The Farm & Store is open to the public every Thursday thru Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Farm Store Phone Number: 828-222-0751. The store offers housemade cheese, preserves and hard cider for sale along with other local and specialty food products. Enjoy light food service, cheeseplates and wine for sale by the glass and bottle. All of it can be enjoyed on site from tables with a mountain view next to the kitchen garden. Visitors are welcome to explore the farm, look into the subterranean cellars where the “World Champion” cheese ages and see the cheesemaking production floor through glass windows.