| PR Cabot Creamery Awarded Guinness World Record | ||
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Contact Information: It took a year, but Guinness has notified Cabot that the 320-lb. grilled cheese sandwich it cooked up and served in Everglades City, Florida on Nov. 4, 2000 is the biggest ever. The sandwich was created at the 2nd Annual Cheese and (Florida) Cracker Festival, sponsored by Cabot, to honor Everglades City’s selection as Florida’s Outstanding Rural Community for 1998. "Naturally we’re delighted to win this ‘Super Bowl’ of sandwich-making," said Cabot President and CEO Richard Stammer. "And let’s face it - a grilled cheese sandwich is THE great American comfort food. This honor is especially gratifying as it is made possible by Cabot’s farm families teaming up with the people of Everglades City in a celebration of rural life." A 1999 attempt at a world record was denied by Guinness, which had inadvertently sent the wrong guidelines. The Cabot/Everglades City team regrouped and tried again, this time successfully. Cabot started with a mammoth loaf of bread, baked by Andre’s French Bakery in Fort Myers in a 5.5’ x 10.5’ pan specially designed and built by Mattie’s Custom Fabrication and Welding, also of Fort Myers. Under the supervision of Chef Jack Elias of Cape Coral, the loaf was cut horizontally into two huge slices, which were then layered with 120-pounds of Cabot’s award-winning Sharp Cheddar. Then the sandwich was grilled over 320-pounds of charcoal in a two-sided steel grill, turned over with two large forklifts, then sliced up and served to about 1,000 people on hand for the festival. "When you’re shooting for a world record, size does matter," said Cabot spokesman Rod Clarke, "but it was just as important for us to make the World’s Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich as it was to make the largest." Cabot received an e-mail from Guinness recognizing the 5’x10’ behemoth as a world record. "I am very pleased to tell you that you are now a World Record Holder," Louisa Bate of Guinness wrote on October 4th. "I am very sorry that this has taken so long, but a certificate should be on its way to you soon". Clarke said he has not yet received the certificate, but was told by Guinness officials that they have a large backlog pending. A follow-up e-mail on October 18th from Kim Goodwin on behalf of "the Keeper of the Records" at Guinness confirmed the award. "I have searched our database and can confirm that the following record is a current Guinness World Record: Largest Grilled Sandwich: Cabot Creamery of Vermont made the world’s largest grilled cheese sandwich measuring 1.52 m x 3.05 m x 6.35 cm (5 ft x 10 ft 0.5 in x 2.5 in) and 3.42 m (11 ft 2.75 in) across the diagonal after cooking at the 2nd Annual Everglades Cheese & (Florida) Cracker Festival, Everglades City, Florida, USA on 4 November 2000. The grilled sandwich weighed approximately 145 kg (320 lbs.)." Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919 and makes a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and butter. Cabot dairy products have won virtually every major award for taste. Over the past three years alone, Cabot has held the titles of "Best Cheddar" and "Best Flavored Cheese" from the World Championship Cheese Contest, "Best Cow’s Milk Cheddar" from the American Cheese Society, "Most Outstanding Cheese" from the National Milk Producers Federation and "Best Cheddar" and "Best Aged Cheddar" from the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest. Cabot is owned by the dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, the Northeast's premier dairy cooperative. Printer-friendly version |
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