The three finalists in our 3rd annual Tillamook Cheese Factory Grilled Cheese Contest cook-off competed last Saturday, April 27 at the Cheese Factory to determine who makes the best darned Tillamook Grilled Cheese sandwich on the planet. From a field of 90 entries, narrowed to seven semi-finalists, these three grilled cheese lovin’ finalists did their best to impress six judges to take the Grand Prize Winner title. And impress they did with three very different, unique, and cheesy recipes.

Colleen Bill of Post Falls, Idaho brought her Grilled Stromboli, with lots of Tillamook Shredded Italian Blend Cheese and Vintage White Smoked Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese and was our 2nd runner up. Donna Beck of Bonney Lake, WA competed with her Cheddar and Ham with Spiced Apple Bacon Compote and Maple Butter, a slightly sweet and spicy delight with our Sharp Cheddar. Donna went home with 24 pounds of cheese and a goodie basket as our 1st runner up. But at the end of the day, the creator of the unique and savory Spicy Turkey Cranberry Grilled Cheese walked away with the $500 Grand Prize, along with a gift basket chock-full of Tillamook goodies and bragging rights for the best Tillamook Grilled Cheese. Karla Pollich of Portland, OR, packed her sandwich with thick slices of Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar and Tillamook Swiss, then grilled it up on sourdough bread with herbed Turkey, bacon and a cranberry jalapeno jelly. Karla’s sandwich will be featured at the Creamery Café at the Cheese Factory this week so come on out and give it a try!

Our visitors also got into the act by sampling all three of the contestant’s sandwiches and voting with their applause for the Audience Favorite. This year the voting was closer than ever, with our judges declaring a three-way tie! All three contestants took home coupons for Tillamook Cheese or Ice Cream.

Join us next year for the 4th Annual Contest, and thanks for celebrating National Grilled Cheese month with us this April!

By Susan P.

Drum roll please. . . . . .
Announcing the 3^rd Annual Tillamook Cheese Factory Grilled Cheese Contest

Do you have the best tasting, creamiest melting, most unique and utterly irresistible grilled cheese sandwich recipe out there? Then enter the Tillamook Cheese Factory Grilled Cheese Contest! From March 22 through April 15, submit your one-of-a-kind recipe and you could be one of three finalists who will compete in a live cook-off on Saturday, April 27 at the Cheese Factory. A panel of judges including chefs, local personalities such as Marlynn Schotland of Urban Bliss Life, and professional cheese tasters (yes, that is a real job) will pick a winner who will get bragging rights for the best darned Tillamook Grilled Cheese sandwich on the planet – oh, and $500 and a delicious Tillamook goodie basket! There are goodie basket prizes for our runners up, too.

Three easy ways to enter:

1) E-mail your name, city, daytime phone number, and grilled cheese recipe to grilledcheesecontest@tillamook.com (check entry format for instructions on recipe format), or
2) Stop by the Cheese Factory for entry format sample and contest rules; type up your recipe and return it there, or
3) Type your recipe according to entry format and mail it to us!
4) Make sure to follow the entry format or we’ll have to disqualify your delicious recipe!

But hurry – deadline for entries is midnight, Monday, April 15. Click here for all the contest details and official rules!

You say you’re not much of a cook but still LOAF to eat Tillamook grilled cheese sandwiches? Then you will want to enter our contest to become our Celebrity “Best Tillamook Cheese Fan” judge at the recipe cook-off! Details on this contest coming soon so stay tuned as the Loaf Life Blog celebrates National Grilled Cheese month, which begins April 1!

By Susan P.

Receive a free Tillie when you purchase $25 or more in merchandise from the Tillamook Cheese Factory this holiday!

The tree is up and decorated, the lights and the garland are strung, the poinsettias are all around, and the cheese gift boxes and baskets are ready. Make plans to join us during December at the Tillamook Cheese Factory to celebrate the holidays! We’ve got lots in store for you.

Be delighted by the hundreds of beautiful, sparkling ornaments on the prettiest tree on the coast while the kids are having their picture taken with Santa! He’ll be visiting us on Saturday and Sunday, December 15 and 16, from 11am to 2pm on both days, and will have a treat for everyone. While you’re here, make sure to enter our giveaway for a giant Tillamook Cow or Tillamook Bear who need loving homes this holiday season. Just drop your name and phone number in the box at the entrance to the gift shop. We’ll be drawing the winners on Tuesday, December 18!

For those who are Willow Tree by Demdaco collectors, we also have a drawing for a new piece in that line. “The Christmas Story” is on display at the gift shop, so make sure you enter to win that for your holiday decorating collection. Winners for this drawing will also be chosen on Tuesday, December 18.

Are you stumped trying to figure out the perfect gift to give?  You’re worries are over. Just think: does anyone NOT want to get Tillamook Cheese for the holidays?  You’ll find every size of your favorite Tillamook variety at the cheese factory, because let’s face it, ONE size definitely does not fit all.  Pair it with mustards, crackers, smoked salmon, summer sausage or any of the delicious northwest gourmet products you’ll find in the shop for all your holiday entertaining. Then wander on over to the gift shop where you’ll find some great Tillamook stocking stuffers. How great is that – one stop shopping! Make sure you take advantage of our complimentary gift wrapping for all your purchases.

And as a special gift to all our visitors this holiday, when you purchase $25 or more in merchandise, you will receive a FREE Tillie from Tillamook! (One per customer, please.) And don’t forget we have complimentary gift wrapping on all your purchases.

We wish everyone a very happy, healthy and fun holiday season!

Holiday hours:
Christmas Eve: 8am – 4pm.
Christmas Day: Closed
New Year’s Eve:  8am – 6pm
New Year’s Day:  10am – 6pm

By Susan P.

Picture you and your loved ones striking a pose here

Let’s face it – even though we’ve barely finished the Thanksgiving leftovers, the pressure to find just the right gift for our kids, friends, and family this year has been hanging over us since Halloween. What to do? What to give?

This year, forego another doll for Susie and Legos for Charlie; forget one more tie for Dad and perfume for Mom. You know your friends certainly will get enough gift cards. This year, give the gift of the Tillamook Cheese Factory! Gather up the kids, go get Grandma and Pa, pack up the gang, and take a trip out to the Oregon coast. To Tillamook. To the Cheese Factory. And spend some time making new memories or reliving cherished ones.

There is something for everyone to enjoy and remember. Photos in the Loaf Love Tour bus, or pretending to be a Tillamook farmer and his favorite cow. Watching the Baby Loafs move down the conveyor belts in the packaging room on the way to your grocery shelf. Feeling the “squeak” on your teeth from the cheese curds for the first time. And the ice cream and fudge!!!

If you’ve been here many times and can recite Tillamook trivia in your sleep, or if you’ve never been before and can’t wait to see where it’s made, now is the time to put this on your wishlist to Santa.

This year, give those you love an adventure to the Tillamook Cheese Factory!

While you’re there, make sure to enter our giveaway for a giant plush Tillamook Cow or Tillamook Bear who both need loving homes this holiday season. Just drop your name and phone number in the box at the cheese sample counter. We’ll be drawing the winners on Tuesday, December 18!

Holiday hours
Christmas Eve: 8am – 4pm
Closed Christmas Day
New Year’s Eve: 8am – 6pm
New Year’s Day: 10am – 6pm

By Susan P.

Well another summer season is behind us! No more hustle and bustle and traffic everywhere! With the summer crowds gone, October is a great time for a field trip to The Cheese Factory!

Take your time on the self-guided tour and soak in all the Tillamook cheese making history you can. No one is waiting, so dig into those interactive kiosks and really learn how we make Tillamook Ice Cream – you can even play the Super Scooper game over and over and over and over and. . . . . .

The weather is still sunny, even though it may be a bit cool on the beach. It’s a great time for a Tilla-picnic!  Choose several varieties of cheese, and add some crackers, mustards, salmon, jerky, fudge, and other goodies for an outing at the beach. And remember you can stay warm at the seashore by snuggling up in a Tillamook Baby Loaf Beach Towel or soft and fuzzy Tillamook Cheese sweatshirt.

If the showers do start (and you know they will!) come in, out of the rain, to relax over a leisurely breakfast or lunch at the Creamery Café. Indulge in a cheese packed omelet, creamy cheesey mac n’ cheese or just a good old fashioned grilled cheese sandwich. We’re cooking up a different special every day, so you never know what delicious sandwich will be on our menu. And for dessert? How about a thick slice of one of our new Tillamook Fudge flavors: Happy Cow Fudge is vanilla fudge swirled with caramel and loaded with chocolate peanut butter filled cows. Or maybe coconut’s your favorite? Try Coconut Caramel Cheesecake, a rich dark chocolate fudge layered with coconut cheesecake and topped with caramel.

No matter rain or shine, there is always something fun and delicious waiting for you at The Cheese Factory!

Won’t you come over for a visit?

By Susan P.

Stop by The Cheese Factory today for National Thank You Day!

Did you know that today is National Thank You Day? We’re taking this opportunity to give a heartfelt thank you to all our Tillamook Cheese, Tillamook Ice Cream, Tillamook Yogurt, and Tillamook Sour Cream fans out there. Your love and passion for our brand is what makes us get up every day and go to work providing you with the best tasting, most natural dairy products we can. You are the sunshine on the green meadows of Tillamook!

A big shout out also goes to all our visitors that come to see us every year at The Cheese Factory. It’s our pleasure to welcome visitors from around the world every day to our home on the Oregon Coast. Come visit us today in celebration of National Thank You Day – but come early! We have a special gift for the first 200 people who come into The Cheese Factory today.  Just seek out any of our friendly customer service reps, and they will present you with your Tillamook thank you gift.

But we’re not stopping there. We want all of our visitors, not just the first 200, to get a special thank you as well. So all customers who purchase $30 or more in our gift, gourmet, cheese or souvenir shops today can Spin the Wheel for a chance to win delicious and fun Tillamook prizes!

We can’t wait to see you at The Cheese Factory today, so we can personally thank each and every one of you for beings our loyal fans!  THANK YOU!

By Susan P.

A passable doppelganger?

Here on the Loaf Love Tour our hotel rooms don’t usually have kitchens, but we’re surrounded by great recipes featuring Tillamook products. I was especially excited to find our new Tillamook Light Yogurt in Salt Lake City because it satisfies my sweet cravings without adding to my always-eating-out waistline.  The same day I spied our delicious Tillamook Light Yogurt on the shelf, I received our latest Loaf Love Tour recipe: Yogurt Dessert Parfait courtesy of Chef Keegan Gerhard.

If you’re like me, you eat with your eyes as well as your taste buds so I figured I’d see what hotel room “cooking” could do to satisfy my craving for this tasty looking recipe! One container of Tillamook Light NW Berry Patch yogurt, a crunched up granola bar, some fresh blueberries, a dollop of whipped cream and my special addition – a dark chocolate covered blueberry and I’m in dessert parfait heaven!

Granted, Chef  Keegan’s version is probably tastier, but if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery I hope he likes it! Tell me, are there any delicious recipes in the Tillamook Kitchen that you take visual inspiration from?

By Susan P.

How do we love our 4-legged Holsteins, Jerseys, and Guernsey’s?  Let us count the ways!

We love that they give us the freshest, highest quality milk for use in producing Tillamook Cheese and Tillamook Ice Cream.  We love the livelihood they provide to all the farmer-owners of our cooperative.  We love how picturesque they are in the rolling meadows and hills of Tillamook county.  Heck, we even love the “dairy air” they provide!

So to all our hard-working Tillamook dairy cows, as well as their cousins nationwide: WE APPRECIATE YOU!

Join us at the Cheese Factory on Sunday, July 15th to help us celebrate our dairy cow herds. The first 500 visitors to the Tillamook Cheese Factory will receive a FREE “Tillie from Tillamook” toy cow.

In the 1950’s, a little brown cow named Tillie of Tillamook entered the spotlight as a cartoon cow in a newspaper ad for Tillamook cheese.  Tillie was a popular gal.  By 1958 she was making appearances in Oregon stores as a squeaky toy.  She’s still a fond memory for many people who owned one of the original Tillie toys, and a replica of Tillie can be yours if you are one of the first 500 people visiting us on Sunday!

And don’t forget to stock up on some cheese, ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, and butter, made possible for you by your friends and ours, the cows.

See you at the Cheese Factory!

By Susan P.

Do you know that July is National Ice Cream Month?  Well, we do and we are celebrating at the Cheese Factory, which of course also happens to be an Ice Cream Factory!  We’ll have lots of fun activities and specials for all our visitors throughout the month.  Check it out:

· We’re sampling a different flavor of our ice cream every day from 11am – 2pm.

· We’ll be doing ice cream making demonstrations, every week on Friday through Tuesday at 3pm.

· Think you can identify the Tillamook ice cream flavor just by tasting it?  Join our Blind Tasting contests on Fridays at 2pm and 4 pm.

· Answer trivia questions while you’re waiting to purchase your favorite Tillamook Ice Cream Cone, and earn a spin on our prize wheel!  You could win a free ice cream cone, free topping, free cheese, or even a free Ice Cream Adventure for you and your friends.  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays randomly throughout the afternoon.

· Children’s games in the courtyard, just for our youngest visitors 8 years old and under.

And that’s just the beginning.  We’re featuring a different special each week during July.  Plan your trip to the cheese factory to try out:

July 1 – 7: Cookie Blast Sundae

July 8 – 14: Tootsie Roll Milkshake

July 15 – 21: Mint Chip Fudge Sundae

July 22 – 31: Espresso Mocha Milkshake

Don’t forget to pick up some ice cream to take home!  All 1.75 quart containers are on sale for only $3.99 all month!  Nothing is better in the summer than sweet, creamy, delicious Tillamook Ice Cream.  Come on out to the cheese factory and help us celebrate!

By Susan P.

Enjoy Tillamook Fudge on June 16!

Creamy, sweet, indulgent treats – of course we’re talking about Tillamook Fudge! This Saturday, June 16, fudge takes center stage at the Cheese Factory because we’re celebrating National Fudge Day! And what better way to do so than by introducing the newest flavor to our fudge line up. Drum roll please for. . .

Salted Caramel - a decadent combination of milk chocolate swirled with rich, gooey caramel and sprinkled with sea salt. A little bit of sweet and salty that’s just right.

But for National Fudge Day, we need more than just a new flavor. So we’re also offering a special deal for all our Tillamook Fudge fans.  When you buy a pound of any flavor of Tillamook Fudge we’ll give you ¼ pound free! Mix and match any combination of our 30 plus flavors, and then choose yet another flavor for your free ¼ pound. And that’s not all – if you visit between 11am and 6pm, your purchase gives you a chance to Spin the Wheel to win more treats!  You could win a fudge pretzel cup, or a fudge hazelnut cup – even a full pound of our new feature flavor.

So don’t miss the fun on National Fudge Day at the cheese factory.  We’ll see you there!

For a full list of Cheese Factory happenings click here.

By Susan P.