Cheese lovers, brace yourselves: Tillamook®, the 101-year-old farmer-owned cooperative with the best-selling natural cheese brand in the West, is pleased to announce an exclusive cheese partnership with the 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational (GCI).
LOS ANGELES, CA (APRIL, 2010) – Known for their high-quality, all-natural cheddar cheese, which recently won first place in the 2010 World Cheese Championship Cheese Contest for “Best Medium Cheddar in the World”, combined with their reputation as the best-tasting cheese around, Tillamook “is a natural fit for the 2010 Los Angeles Grilled Cheese Invitational,” says Tim Walker, the GCI’s Founder and Chief Instigator.
“Tillamook is excited to be sponsoring this hugely popular event that celebrates one of America’s favorite foods - the Grilled Cheese Sandwich,” says John Russell, Senior Director of Marketing for Tillamook Cheese. “It’s also a tremendous opportunity for us to share our best-tasting cheddar with thousands of cheese fans.”
At this cheese-lovers’ Mecca, attendees will have the opportunity to visit the Tillamook Pavilion and feast on complimentary grilled cheese samples, samples of their best-tasting cheddars as well as take home coupons for any Tillamook® cheese product, recipe cards and much more. The attendees will also have the chance to experience the Loaf Love Tour, Tillamook’s first-ever cross-country event designed to “spread the loaf love” by bringing their best-tasting cheese to the people. The Loaf Love Tour consists of a trio of mini-buses that were retrofitted from 1966 Standard VW Microbuses to resemble Baby Loafs of Tillamook cheddar.
The Grilled Cheese Invitational, which started in 2003 as a bet between Founder Tim Walker and a group of his closest friends, has grown into a national movement dedicated to perfecting the art of grilled cheese. The wildly popular cooking contest attracts both professional and amateur grilled cheese competitors from across the country. “The Grilled Cheese Invitational is just like any other high-stakes Olympic sporting event, except we get to eat the gold medals, adds Walker.” The 1st 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational will be held at Los Angeles Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles on April 24th with registration starting today!
About Tillamook County Creamery Association
The Tillamook County Creamery Association, formed as a farmer-owned cooperative in 1909, has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s premier makers of cheese. TCCA is a national marketer of naturally aged cheddar and a variety of other cheeses, butter, and an extensive line of premium ice cream, sour cream and yogurt products. TCCA is most famously known for its internationally award-winning Tillamook® cheddar cheese.
About the Grilled Cheese Invitational
The Grilled Cheese Invitational (GCI) is the largest, craziest, and most exciting Grilled Cheese cooking contest in the country. Created by Tim Walker in 2003, the GCI began as a friendly competition amongst friends in a private artist loft in Downtown Los Angeles. Since then, the GCI has grown into a national movement dedicated to perfecting the art of grilled cheese and attracts thousands of cheese lovers from around the nation. For more information, please visit www.grilledcheeseinvitational.com .