Crafting Latino Artisan Excellence
A Journey with Familia del Norte, a new Washington-based Mexican artisan cheese project wins Gold at World Competition
[Ferndale, Washington] — Familia del Norte is proud to announce their outstanding achievement of winning their first prestigious Gold Medal at the World Cheese Championship, solidifying their status as a global leader in Latin style artisanal cheeses despite being the new kids on the block.
On a whim Familia del Norte entered only 3 entries into this year’s 35th biennial World Championship Cheese Contest hosted in Madison, Wisconsin. Dairy experts from all over the world carefully evaluated over 3,300 worldwide entries in 142 distinctive classes.
Familia del Norte Queso Panela competed in the Latin American Style Cheese classes and was awarded a Gold medal in its class. This distinguished award is a testament to the dedication and commitment to fresh, flavorful, and natural ingredients.
Co-Founder Nidia Hernandez expressed her gratitude, saying, "We are overjoyed and honored to receive a Gold Medal at the World Cheese Championship. Cheesemaking is not easy work - it takes a lot of hard labor, dedication, and passion to create a lasting impression in a category of cheeses that seems to be largely ignored in the artisan space.” says Hernandez “We all grew up eating queso fresco and it is a huge honor for us to be recognized for our Queso Panela among the types of cheeses that I have memories with in the family kitchen – it truly is a dream come true and such a pride that I have never felt before.”
Familia del Norte is a small team of Latina-lead “queseros” committed to creating cheeses that not only reflect their love for the craft but to also bring joy to those who savor their creations while honoring and sharing a piece of their diverse Latino cheesemaking heritage. Familia del Norte is celebrating its newfound success, it is still in its young developing cheese journey and is hoping to launch in more stores soon. They are committed to a small scale, pure ingredient, and nutritious food lifestyle centered around creating opportunity for everybody while celebrating culture through language and flavor.
About Familia del Norte: Founded in 2022, Familia del Norte is a Latina-owned cheese company currently being produced in a shared facility in Ferndale, WA. Familia del Norte brings together Latino tradition, craftsmanship, and a passion for quality in every delectable cheese bite!
For media inquiries, please contact Nidia Hernandez, Co-founder of Familia del Norte, Email: quesosfamiliadelnorte@gmail.com