Connecticut is Home to More Than One Back-to-Back World Champion

For the first time in it's 44-year history the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest has named a back-to-back World Champion. Yet again, the best cheese in the United States for 2025 is made in Litchfield, Connecticut.

As the UConn men's basketball team gets ready to start their quest for a third straight championship in a row, another team based in Connecticut has just won a back-to-back World Championship. Arethusa Farm of Litchfield's Europa Cheese has just captured it's second Championship in a row at the 2025 U.S. Championship Cheese contest. The 2025 just wrapped up in Green Bay, Wisconsin March 4-6, and the winners were just announced on Friday.

Arethusa's Europa, an incredibly delicious Gouda, was judged to be the best cheese in the US out of 2,414 entries. Europa took home top honors with a winning score of 98.89 out of 100, just edging out the 98.88 that a cheese from Coatesville, Pennsylvania scored for second place. This is the first time in its 40+ year history that the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest has had a repeat champion.

According to uschampioncheese.org., over 31 states were represented by the finest cheese makers in the US, entries were submitted across 117 classes of cheese, and the state that won the most this year was Wisconsin who took home 55 'Best in Class' finishes, and the most gold medals. Vermont came in second with 12 first-place medals, while Idaho finished third.

Congratulations Arethusa Farm, Europa is absolutely the best aged-Gouda that any of us have ever tried in our lives. Everything Arethusa produces has incredible attention to detail. Bravo.