Western Grocer Serving the industry since 1916
The World Cheese Awards will open for entry from Monday 23 August, with organisers, the Guild of Fine Food, inviting cheesemakers across the globe to submit their products to be judged by an international panel of 230 experts from 30 different countries.
Dedicated only to cheese, with no other dairy products judged, the 33rd World Cheese Awards will take place in Oviedo on Wednesday 3 November as part of the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival 2021, run by the Instituto del Queso, in partnership with the Principality of Asturias and the City Council of Oviedo.
Following a turbulent time for cheesemakers over the past 18 months, the organisers are anticipating a greater number of entries than ever before, so are encouraging producers to submit their cheeses early before the entry cap is reached. With up to 4,000 cheeses from six continents expected to line up in Oviedo, this is set to be the largest cheese-only competition the world has ever seen.
Providing a global platform for cheesemaking excellence, from multi award-winners to tiny artisans, the World Cheese Awards will give Bronze, Silver, Gold and Super Gold awards, as its judging panel directs buyers everywhere to the world’s finest cheeses. The International Super Jury will then debate the best of the best live on WCA TV, before crowning this year’s World Champion Cheese.
An opportunity for the global cheese community to come together after a year of extraordinary challenges, the World Cheese Awards will be at the heart of the International Cheese Festival; a four day festival dedicated only to cheese. From 3-6 November 2021, Oviedo’s awe-inspiring Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos will provide the setting for the industry to reunite, do business, expand networks and look to the future.
Building upon the Asturias region’s rich cheesemaking heritage, the festival will present a packed programme of events for both trade and consumer visitors, including an exhibition, the 2nd Scientific Forum for Dairy Innovation, tours of the World Cheese Awards judging arena, experimental tasting sessions, an Asturex Agrifood Forum, an Origin Zone (exploring European Quality Schemes such as PGIs and PDOs), a Cheese Market and even a Gastro Cheese Comedy line-up.
John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, organisers of the World Cheese Awards, commented: “The World Cheese Awards’ return to Spain will be a huge moment for the international cheese community, not only giving us the opportunity to reunite, but also to celebrate the resilience of an industry that’s had to dig deep to weather the global pandemic. Innovation has flourished in adversity, so we’re expecting an exciting array of new cheeses to be entered this year, but it will also give us great pleasure to witness the return of more established cheeses from around the world, having survived trials and tribulations of COVID-19. With entries from around 40 different countries, this will be a truly international contest, but we’re expecting a strong showing from the hosts too – with 300 cheeses produced in Asturias, I’m confident a fair few accolades will be heading their way.”
Luisa Villegas, Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival director and CEO of Instituto del Queso, commented: “The directive committee is very pleased with the international interest that the festival has created. We are having a great impact on the international dairy community, with so many cheesemakers excited to compete to be named the World Champion Cheese 2021 in Oviedo. Moreover, the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival is a great indicator of cheese as a way of instigating economic growth. In line with this, we are working with dairy professionals to establish a scientific approach to future alimentation, creating recognisable value from the festival.”
The World Cheese Awards will be open for entry from Monday 23 August until Thursday 23 September, unless the entry cap is reached before this date – early entry is recommended. Producers can enter online at www.gff.co.uk/wca.
The World Cheese Awards will take place on Wednesday 3 November at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos in Oviedo, Spain, forming part of the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival 2021, which will run from 3-6 November.
For further information, please contact:
Sam Brice at Freshly Ground PR
+44 (0) 7961 635960
Tortie Farrand at the Guild of Fine Food
+44 (0) 1747 825200
World Cheese Awards
A firm date in every cheese lover’s calendar, the World Cheese Awards has been bringing together cheesemakers, retailers, buyers, consumers and food commentators worldwide for over three decades, in a celebration of tradition, innovation and excellence in cheese. It’s the biggest cheese-only event in the world, with no yoghurt, cream, butter or other dairy able to enter, championing the world’s best cheesemakers, from tiny artisans to global heavyweights.
Judges work in teams of two to three, identifying any cheeses worthy of a Bronze, Silver or Gold award. They assess the look, feel, smell and taste of each entry, scoring aspects such as the appearance of the rind and paste, as well as the cheese’s aroma, body and texture, with the majority of points awarded for flavour and mouthfeel. Each team then nominates one exceptional cheese as the Super Gold from their table. These cheeses are the best in the world and are judged a second time by the Super Jury of 16 internationally recognised experts, who each select a cheese to champion in the final round of judging. The Super Jury, representing all four corners of the globe, then debates the final 16 in front of a live consumer and trade audience, before choosing the World Champion Cheese live on WCA TV.
Web: www.gff.co.uk/wca
Instagram: guildoffinefood
Twitter: @guildoffinefood
Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival
Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival 2021 is the most important gastronomic event of the year and will take place at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos (PEC), Oviedo from Wednesday 3 November until Saturday 6 November. With cheese taking centre stage, the festival will feature a series of events within its programme, including the celebration of World Cheese Awards 2021, the most important cheese competition in the world.
Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival 2021 will be the most important showcase for the cheese sector this year, where visitors can taste everything from the most traditional cheeses from five continents to the new trends in the sector. It will have a novel festival format, in which the importance of science for cheese’s position in the feeding of the future will be highlighted, accompanied by leading representatives from international gastronomy.
Open to everyone, the festival will facilitate interaction between exhibitors, cheese professionals and consumers.
Web: www.internationalcheesefestival.com
Facebook: @internationalcheesefestival
Instagram: internationalcheesefestival
Twitter: @cheesefest2021
August 2021
