A US-Made Cream Cheese Spread Was Just Named Best in the World — and It’s at Your Grocery Store

Key Points

• Tillamook’s Farmstyle Cream Cheese Spreads won four gold medals at the 2025 International Cheese and Dairy Awards, including Best Cream Cheese Spread.

• Award-winning flavors included Original, Seriously Strawberry, Very Veggie, and Jalapeño Honey, highlighting the brand’s strength across categories.

• The spreads are made with simple ingredients and no fillers, offering a thick, tangy texture that helped its cheese stand out in a field of over 5,500 international entries.

Tillamook has done it again. This time, with cream cheese.

At the 2025 International Cheese and Dairy Awards held in the United Kingdom, Tillamook County Creamery Association, an Oregon-based dairy cooperative, earned four gold medals for its Farmstyle Cream Cheese Spreads. One of those — a win in the Cheese Spread, Any Variety category — was open to both UK and international producers. That’s where the Original Farmstyle Cream Cheese Spread took top honors, making it, by category definition, the best cream cheese spread in the world.

The other three golds showcase the strength of the lineup across multiple flavors. Tillamook’s Seriously Strawberry spread won in the category of Specialty Soft or Cream Cheese with Additives (excluding blue-veined); Very Veggie was named Best USA Cheese, Soft/Semi-Soft; and Jalapeño Honey took the award for Best USA Cheese, Any Cheese with Additives.

“We’re honored to be recognized for our achievements in cream cheese excellence, building on our success at last year’s ICDA awards,” said Jill Allen, director of product excellence at Tillamook, in a press release. “These awards and the overwhelming consumer response to our entire lineup of cream cheese products are a reflection of our commitment to making dairy better than it has to be.”

Related: 6 Easy Ways to Transform Plain Cream Cheese Into Something Extraordinary

The victories come just two years after Tillamook introduced its Farmstyle cream cheese spreads nationwide, offering a thicker, tangier alternative to the whipped or airy versions found in most grocery stores. Since then, the product line has expanded to include savory and sweet flavors meant for everyday use — on bagels, as dips, or as sandwich spreads.

The Original spread is crafted with just five ingredients and no gums or fillers, giving it a satisfying flavor and a dense, spreadable texture. Its nod to old-school deli cream cheese may have helped it stand out in a global market often dominated by European-style soft cheeses.

The International Cheese and Dairy Awards, established in 1897, is among the longest-running dairy competitions in the world. Held annually in the UK, the event draws thousands of entries across more than 100 categories, judged on appearance, aroma, texture, and flavor. With more than 5,500 entries submitted in 2025, earning a first-place finish is a meaningful nod from a panel of international experts.

Tillamook’s full line of Farmstyle spreads — including the award-winning Original, Seriously Strawberry, Very Veggie, and Jalapeño Honey — is widely available at major retailers across the U.S.

Cream cheese may not have the same prestige of cave-aged wheels or sharp cheddars, but it’s a foundational part of American kitchens. A U.S.-made spread taking first place in a global competition signals how American dairy continues to stand out, far beyond its cheddar legacy.

Tillamook’s winning cream cheese spreads

• Won Gold for Cheese Spread, any variety (open to UK and non-UK producers): Original Farmstyle Cream Cheese Spread

• Won Gold for Speciality Soft or Cream Cheese with additives other than blue veined cheese (open to UK and Non UK producers): Seriously Strawberry Farmstyle Cream Cheese Spread

• Won Gold for Best USA Cheese, soft/semi-soft (open to cheese produced in America only; any size or weight): Very Veggie Farmstyle Cream Cheese Spread

• Won Gold for Best USA Cheese, any cheese with additives (open to cheese produced in America only; any size or weight): Jalapeño Honey Farmstyle Cream Cheese Spread

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