This Pun Fight! episode mixed it up like a bag of cheddar blend. Oh, and cheese was the theme.
Toby Brewer, a freelance Los Angeles creative, faced Hayes Steinberg from Canada’s Klick Health and wasn’t short on cheesy puns, wordplay, and creative banter as the contestants battled for pun supremacy. Head judge Jess Zafarris had a time of it sorting the good from the … cheese.

Round 1: Punny Business – Name Our Cheese Advisory Boutique
In the first round, the challenge was to develop a punny business name for a fictional cheese boutique and advisory firm (weird, we know). Both contestants brought their A-game with clever entries.
- Toby’s Best Entry: “Whey to Go” – This pun played on the word “whey,” a byproduct of cheese-making, and was a crowd favorite.
- Hayes’ Best Entry: “Parmigiano Requiem Endo” – A more poetic approach, this name impressed with its creativity and use of rhyme, although it leaned more into wordplay than a pure pun.
Score: Toby edged out Hayes in this round with a score of 9 to 8 for delivering a more pun-centric entry.
Round 2: Word Fill – Cheesy Trade Article
In round two, the contestants added new words to this T.L. Stanley article on, you guessed it, cheese.
Score: This round ended in a near tie, with Hayes earning 13 points and Toby securing 12.
Round 3: Decaword
The final round involved forming the longest word from a set of 10 letters. This round proved more challenging, and both contestants felt the pressure.
- Hayes’ word: “Checked” – A solid seven-letter entry.
- Toby’s word: “Cheese” – A respectable six-letter word, but not enough to take the lead.
Score: Hayes secured the win in this round with his seven-letter word, putting him ahead by a single point.
Final Score:
- Toby Brewer: 30 points
- Hayes Steinberg: 31 points
Winner: Hayes Steinberg clinched the victory in a tight competition, taking home the silver medal for the season so far. While Toby put up a strong fight, Hayes’ wordplay and quick thinking in the final round gave him the edge.

Doug Zanger is the founder and editor-in-chief of Indie Agency News. He is also the founder of the Creative Bohemian consultancy, lives in the Pacific Northwest and is insufferable about it.