Cheese it!

The best ricotta in the world? It’s made in Skowhegan, Maine.

(And by a Wheaton girl, no less)

People who live near Skowhegan may already know that some of the best ricotta comes from a small-batch creamery housed in the former county jail. 

Now, the rest of the world knows, too.

Crooked Face Creamery this month took home the Super Gold medal for its plain whole milk ricotta at the 37th annual World Cheese Awards, held Nov. 13 in Bern, Switzerland. The Skowhegan cheesemaker also took home a Bronze medal for its applewood smoked ricotta.

“For our small creamery in Skowhegan, Maine, to be recognized on the world stage, surrounded by centuries-old traditions, is a testament to the power of hard work and a deep love for this way of life,” Crooked Face’s founder Amy Rowbottom said in a statement announcing the awards.

“Being awarded Super Gold and Bronze at this year’s World Cheese Awards is a moment I will never forget. When I look at this award, I see not only the quality of our cheese and thousands of batches it’s taken to get here, but the quality of the people who make it all possible by continuing to support small businesses like mine here in rural Maine.”

The World Cheese Awards, put on by the British organization the Guild for Fine Food, claims to be the largest and most prestigious cheese competition in the world. Participating this year were 5,244 cheeses from 46 countries, according to organizers.

The Super Gold award designates a cheese as one of the best in the world, as decided by a “super jury” of international judges, making it a finalist for the title of “World Champion Cheese.” The plain whole milk ricotta from the Skowhegan creamery was one of 110 cheeses to receive the distinction, Rowbottom said.

Two other Maine cheesemakers, from Waldoboro and Whiting, also won medals at this year’s awards.

Rowbottom, who grew up on a dairy farm, is a self-taught cheesemaker who started experimenting with the craft 15 years ago. She received her English degree from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and worked in marketing, sales and publishing before deciding to return to the dairy industry.

In 2019, with her business growing, Rowbottom moved production from her family’s farm in Norridgewock to the Somerset Grist Mill at 42 Court St. in Skowhegan. The downtown mill, formerly the Somerset County Jail built in 1897 and closed in 2008, also houses Maine Grains, a farm-to-table restaurant, a local radio station and a knitting shop.

Rowbottom now sells a variety of cheeses — not just ricottas — and other accoutrements at her storefront and to wholesale customers across New England, mostly in Maine. She said she makes 10,000 pounds of fresh ricotta per year.

The retail shop is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. It is also open special holiday hours this week: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. It is closed Thursday for Thanksgiving and regular hours resume Friday.

Rowbottom also sells her products online at crookedfacecreamery.com.

I love premium cheeses, but I can never justify paying for such an expensive indulgence when shopping just for myself. But giving it as a gift offers a chance to purchase it without guilt, and offers the additional bonus of the pleasure of gift-giving, so that’s what I plan to do. I’m also a big fan of small businesses, and this looks like a good one to support; I thought I’d give it a shout-out, because it occurs to me that a number of readers here might be intrigued.