Murray's Cave-Aged Cheeses Bring Home Six Medals at the 2026 American Cheese Society Awards

NEW YORK, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) and Murray's Cheese announced today that six cheeses from its renowned Cave Aged Cheese program received honors at the 2026 American Cheese Society (ACS) Judging & Competition Awards, one of the most respected and competitive accolades in American artisan cheese.

Often referred to as the "Academy Awards of cheese," the annual ACS competition recognizes excellence in cheesemaking and affinage through rigorous technical and aesthetic evaluation by industry experts. This year's competition featured more than 1,300 entries from cheesemakers and affineurs across North America, with winners announced this week during the ACS Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

Six of Murray's cave-aged cheeses, created in collaboration with distinguished cheesemakers and proprietarily aged in Murray's cheese caves, earned medals across a diverse range of categories:

• Double Doe: First Place, Washed Rind, Other Milks, Open Category
• Treeline: Second Place, Washed Rind, Cow Milk, Open Category
• Savage: Second Place, American Made International Style, Cow Milk
• Mini Greensward: Second Place, Cheeses Wrapped in Bark
• Stockinghall: Second Place, Clothbound Cheddar, Cow Milk, Aged Over 13 Months
• Carpenter's Wheel: Third Place, Goat's Milk Cheese, Aged Over 60 Days

Several of the wins marked significant milestones for Murray's caves program, with Treeline, Savage and Mini Greensward earning medals in their first-ever appearances in competition. Double Doe returned to the podium with a first-place finish after previously taking home top honors in 2024. 

Three of the winners are available at Murray's Cheese kiosks inside Mariano's stores, part of a new program that launched this spring at 15 Marianos locations, marking the first time the unique small-batch collection has been available outside Murray's New York City retail shops.

"These awards recognize the passion and expertise of our incredible team of cheese agers and our fantastic cheese making partners. " notes Nick Tranchina, President of Murrays Cheese.

The awards underscore the success of Murray's distinctive approach to in-house cave aging, also known as affinage, a model rarely seen among American cheese and food retailers, and one that continues to uniquely position Murray's within the specialty food industry.

"It was wonderful to see such a wide array of our Cave Age cheeses recognized at the awards. We are truly honored to be able to age and nurture cheeses from so many great American cheese makers. Partnership is key to the work that we do!" says Josh Windsor, Caves Manager and Affineur

Murray's expert affinage team has operated state-of-the-art cheese caves in Long Island City, New York, aging and ripening cheeses from around the world while developing an innovative collection of proprietary cave-aged cheeses in collaboration with leading American creameries and small producers.

Murray's works hand-in-hand with cheesemakers throughout the production and maturation process, creating a foundation for continuous experimentation, innovation and flavor development. The close collaboration between Murray's affineurs and their producer partners allows the team to develop new techniques, styles and flavor profiles, creating cheeses unlike anything else on the market.

The result is a distinctive collection of cave-aged cheeses available exclusively through Murray's, many of which are produced in limited quantities and cannot be found anywhere else in the market. Together, the collection reflects Murray's commitment to redefining innovation in American cave-aged cheese while championing small producers and artisan cheesemakers across the country.

The 2026 honors build on a strong recent history for Murray's at ACS, following 2025 wins for Cave Aged Reserve Barnstorm Blue, which earned Gold and a coveted Top 10 overall finish, and St. Marks, which received Silver in the soft-ripened category.

The 2026 wins further establish Murray's as one of the country's leading authorities in affinage and reflect the company's ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of what American cave-aged cheese can become.

Customers can try these amazing cheeses both in Kroger Family of Companies stores across the U.S. and online at www.kroger.com.

About Murray's Cheese: Murray's Cheese is a New York City institution dedicated to the craft of exceptional cheese and artisanal food. Renowned for its meticulous curation, expert cheesemongers, and award-winning cave-aged cheeses matured in its Long Island City caves, Murray's has become a leading destination for specialty food lovers. The company operates two NYC retail shops, a kiosk in Grand Central Station, and a national ecommerce business, all rooted in a commitment to quality, tradition, and craftsmanship. Murray's also hosts expert-led tastings and educational events, while supplying many of the country's most acclaimed restaurants with thoughtfully sourced and expertly aged cheeses. Murray's joined the Kroger family in 2017 and their cheese kiosks and mongers guide customers through a joyful shopping experience within 1,200+ stores. throughout the country.  Follow along at @murrayscheese and www.murrayscheese.com. 

About Kroger

At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies more than 400,000 associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through an e-Commerce experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.