26 minute read
WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2021 ROUND-UP
Worth the wait
More than 4,000 cheeses. Some 230 judges jetting in from all over the globe. A breath-taking venue. And a very worthy artisan winner from the home nation. A er a two-year hiatus, the World Cheese Awards returned in November to the Spanish city of Oviedo. Here’s what happened.
Report by Michael Lane Judging photography by Julián Rus García
HAVING BEEN MORE than two years in the making, the 2021-22 World Cheese Awards was always going to be eagerly anticipated but it certainly delivered on all fronts.
Organised by the Guild of Fine Food, the Awards’ 33rd edition took place in a picturesque host city – Oviedo in the northern Spanish region of Asturias – and was held in an architectural marvel of a building. What’s more, there was a record number of cheeses (4,000-plus) entered and the most geographically diverse set of judges ever assembled. And, in customary fashion, the destination of the World Champion trophy came down to the very last cheese to be tasted on the day.
When a so , mould-ripened goats’ cheese was brought out on stage at just a er 5:30pm on 4th November, there was notable excitement from the Spanish contingent watching in the auditorium at Oviedo’s Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos.
This was the nal cheese to be judged during the very last session of the day – where the expert Super Jury tastes and scores the Top 16 cheeses – a er the main judging session had been held during the morning alongside the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival. And this unique specimen from the home nation’s southern region of Andalusia also proved to be the best.
Despite its distinctive square shape and the unique layer of olive stone ash that runs through its paste, Olavidia is a more subtle cheese on the palate than some of its other fellow Top 16 cheeses. That did not deter the nal panel of experts, which included judges from France, Italy, Sweden, Ukraine, India and Japan. It was actually a UK-based judge, Jason Hinds of Neal’s Yard Dairy, who presented the cheese to the panel and extolled its virtues.
“This is unlike anything I’ve seen before,” he told his peers and the audience. “Its appearance is so original and it didn’t let me down. It’s unctuous, seductive, pillowy, warm and comforting.”
Hinds’ fellow judges agreed, with many o ering the maximum score of 7 points, and Olavidia registered the top score of 103.
While other Spaniards in the room were shouting “Vamos” and applauding loudly,
The full results of the day are available at gff.co.uk/wca – where you can also view footage from the day’s judging.
one couple in the middle rows of seats were. Silvia Peláez and Paco Romero are the couple responsible for what had just become the Best Cheese in the World. Rather appropriately given that one judge had said the cheese had “stolen his heart”, their operation is called Quesos y Besos (‘Cheese and Kisses’) – and it has only been going since 2017.
Peláez later recounted the surreal experience of being in the room as their cheese won to FFD (read the full interview on page 28)
“We were having a relaxing day,” she said. “We suddenly decided to leave our stand at the Festival and go to the auditorium just to check. We were very happy because we knew that two of our cheeses were awarded SuperGold, so we were happy enough with that.”
Peláez added that when they saw that the other cheeses they were up against in the Top 16 were so strong in pro le and avour, like Gorgonzola and Parmigiano Reggiano, they had not expected to win the trophy.
Until Olavidia took the title, it had looked like another particularly potent cheese – an Epoisses made by Fromagerie Berthaut –would be crowned champion but the classic French washed rind ended up in second place with a score of 98.
Just one point behind in third place was a blue-veined goats’ milk tomme from Dutch
WCA IN NUMBERS
The 33rd World Cheese Awards saw a record-breaking 4,079 entries (7.2% increase on previous record set in 2019) from 45 different countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Estonia, Japan, Mexico, Ukraine and the USA as well as the UK and Europe.
These entries were assembled across 88 tables in a dedicated area at Asturias
Paraíso Natural International Cheese
Festival, in partnership with the Instituto del Queso, the Principality of Asturias and the City Council of Oviedo.
The entries were then tasted, assessed and scored during a two-and-a-half-hour morning session by 230 experts from 38 different countries, to determine whether they were worthy of one of four awards. 1450 entries achieved an award this year: 88 Super Golds, 316 Golds, 591 Silvers, 747 Bronzes.
MAJOR WINNERS
BEST LATIN AMERICAN CHEESE
Kabry Sierra Encantada sierra-encantada.com
BEST SMOKED CHEESE
Queso Puro de Oveja Al Pimentón Ahumado con Toque Picante De La Huz Grimaldos Industrias Lacteas S.L lahuzgourmet.com
BEST SOUTH AFRICAN CHEESE
Mature Gruberg Klein River Cheese kleinrivercheese.co.za
BEST NORWEGIAN CHEESE
Dovre Ysteri Norsk Camembert TINE SA tine.no
BEST SCOTTISH CHEESE
Arran Brie The Island Cheese Company, Isle of Arran Cheese arranscheeseshop.co.uk
HOW THE JUDGING WORKS
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.
NEXT YEAR… …KYIV
The 34th World Cheese Awards will take place in Kyiv, Ukraine. It will be staged in partnership with Ardis Group in November 2022. More details will be announced soon at gff.co.uk/wca
producer Van der Heiden Kaas.
The Top 16 was especially eclectic this year with cheeses from Austria, Hungary and Sweden, competing with more famous nations like Italy, France and the Netherlands.
The UK featured twice, with Trethowan’s Pitchfork Cheddar and its Gorwydd Caerphilly both in the nal, alongside a second cheese from Quesos y Besos (the so Camembeso) and most curiously of all, there was a Japanese blue called Hisui (‘Jade’) that made the cut too.
These elite cheeses were not the only winners but the end result of an intensive day of tasting and scoring, which began with some 250 cheese professionals from 38 di erent nations being piped into the judging area by a traditional Asturian band.
The rst challenge was for these judges, working in small teams, to make their way through a record-breaking number of entries – 4,079 cheeses sourced from 45 countries –divided across 88 tables.
Every single cheese was tasted and scored with cheeses receiving either a Gold, Silver, Bronze, or no award, while every judging table nominated a Super Gold cheese to progress to the nal judging sessions conducted by a Super Jury of 16 experts.
Each member of the jury picked one cheese to champion in a nal session of tasting and scoring in front of a large audience – both live and via World Cheese Awards TV.
John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, organisers of the World Cheese Awards, said: “As the World Cheese Awards was founded over three decades ago to showcase the work of small artisan cheesemakers, it gives me immense pleasure to see a tiny family-run cheesemaking business taking top honours once again.
“It’s an incredible feat to stand out in a eld of over 4,000 cheeses from every corner of the world, but Quesos y Besos’ Olavidia clearly had everything; delivering an exceptional appearance, aroma, texture and avour, along with bags of originality.
“I’d also like to thank our judges and our partners, the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival, for helping us to stage the World Cheese Awards once again, giving the global cheese community a day of well-earned celebration following a period of such challenges, uncertainty, resilience and innovation.”
This year’s competition was hosted by the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival, held on 3rd-6th November and run by the Instituto del Queso in partnership with the Principality of Asturias and the City Council of Oviedo.
gff.co.uk/wca
Looking for fresh inspiration?
SEE WORLD LEADING PRODUCTS FROM MEVALCO - THE HOME OF FINE SPANISH FOODS
Hola! Here at Mevalco, we are proud of our unique and carefully sourced product range which includes over 600 lines of inspirational and prime quality Spanish products.
Just one example of how we stand out from the crowd – we are the exclusive UK supplier of Olavidia Quesos y Besos, which has just been voted the World’s Best Cheese! You may like to consider offering this delicious and highly sought-after goat’s cheese to your own customers – and it makes for a great marketing story to attract attention too!
Our range is extensive. For over 15 years, we have been importing products that have been sustainably sourced from artisan producers across Spain.
Only the very best products fit our criteria, whether olives, roasted peppers, amazing seafoods including octopus, gambas, and boquerones, not forgetting the lamb and beef which is grown high up in the mountains with unique flavour and bought by many chefs across the world’s best dining establishments. We believe our hams and chorizo are the best in the world and our Ibérico pork is outstanding.
These are just a few of our lines. Check us out on www.mevalco.com (you can buy online if you would find this easier) or call our friendly sales team on 0117 982 6540, email sales@mevalco.com
BRINDISA FOUNDER HONOURED WITH EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION TROPHY
The World Cheese Awards weren’t the only thing celebrating their 33rd year, so was the founder of UK-based Spanish food wholesaler and retailer Brindisa.
Monika Linton received the trophy for Exceptional Contribution for Cheese while in Oviedo as a judge.
Linton is credited with creating a thriving market for Spanish cheeses in the UK and her unwavering efforts in championing artisan food producers, even despite the challenges of lockdown and the pandemic.
Linton read Spanish & Latin American Studies at University College London, and then taught English in Catalonia. Inspired by the ingredients she found in Spain, she set up Brindisa on a shoestring, supported by her family.
Three decades later, she now oversees Brindisa’s distribution and retail operations, as well as six Brindisa Kitchens – employing more 220 people and listing more than 50 Spanish cheeses at any one time.
Linton said: “This prize means so much to me personally and professionally. For more than 30 years, Brindisa people: staff, customers and makers have worked tirelessly to give the cheeses of Spain the profile and appreciation that they deserve. I believe that we led the way in the ‘90s at a time when the world wasn’t ready for Spanish cheese nor were makers comfortable selling beyond their borders. We stuck to our guns searching for cheeses that would hook in buyers and consumers. What Spain is now producing is world class.”
brindisa.com
GORWYDD CAERPHILLY LEADS SUCCESSFUL BRITISH CONTINGENT
Gorwydd Caerphilly made by the Trethowan Brothers in North Somerset has been named Best British Cheese, sponsored by Savencia Fromage & Dairy, at the World Cheese Awards. Taking 7th place overall in this year’s competition, the traditional, organic raw cows’ milk territorial cheese was joined in the Top 16 by the cheesemaker’s Pitchfork Vintage Cheddar.
This is the second World Cheese Awards in a row that Trethowan’s has achieved this double.
Owners Todd and Maugan Trethowan said: “This is our 25th year of making Gorwydd Caerphilly. It has been our life’s work and we have put our heart and soul into it, so for it to be recognised as the Best British Cheese by such an esteemed group of judges means the world to us. It’s great that the complexities of these more subtle cheeses are rewarded. We think that our organic, unpasteurised milk promotes a fuller and more rounded depth of flavour.”
Other trophies went to Arran Brie from The Island Cheese Company (Best Scottish Cheese) and Trefaldwyn Blue from Trefaldwyn Cheese (Best Welsh Cheese). In total, British cheesemakers won 15 Gold, 24 Silver and 41 Bronze awards. There were also 8 British Super Golds (see left).
BRITISH SUPER GOLDS
Cropwell Bishop Creamery – Blue Stilton Half Harvey & Brockless – Trufflyn Goats Cheese Trethowan’s Dairy – Pitchfork Cheddar Trethowan’s Dairy – Gorwydd Caerphilly Long Clawson Dairy – Blue Stilton Village Maid Cheese – Spenwood Shepherds Purse – Buffalo Blue Shepherds Purse – Harrogate Blue
MAJOR WINNERS
BEST LE GRUYÈRE CHEESE
Le Gruyère AOP Premier Cru Cremo SA cremo.ch
BEST AUSTRALIAN CHEESE
Oak Blue Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese berryscreekcheese.com
BEST WELSH CHEESE
Trefaldwyn Blue Trefaldwyn Cheese trefaldwyn-cheese.com
BEST FRENCH CHEESE
Epoisses Berthaut Perrière Savencia Fromage & Dairy savencia-fromagedairy.com
BEST ITALIAN CHEESE
Gorgonzola Dolce DOP Caseificio Brusati Caseificio Brusati caseificiobrusati.it
BEST SPANISH CHEESE
Olavidia Quesos y Besos quesosybesos.es
THE ANN-MARIE DYAS AWARD FOR BEST ARTISAN CHEESE
Baracska semi-hard cheese Csíz Sajtműhely Kft csizsajtmuhely.hu
MAJOR WINNERS
BEST JAPANESE CHEESE
Hisui Atelier de Fromage a-fromage.co.jp
BEST BRITISH CHEESE
Meet the World Champion
Gorwydd Caerphilly Trethowan’s Dairy trethowansdairy.co.uk
BEST UNPASTEURISED CHEESE
Vorarlberger Bergkäse über 10 Monate Dorfsennerei Schlins-Röns und Umgebung eGen dorfsennerei.at
BEST NEW CHEESE
Postel Reserve NV Fromunion-Kaasmakerij Passendale ilovecheese.be
BEST AMERICAN CHEESE
Queen Bee Porcini Beehive Cheese Company beehivecheese.com
BEST FEMALE CHEESEMAKER
Olavidia Quesos y Besos quesosybesos.es
BEST SCA MEMBER CHEESE
Gorwydd Caerphilly
Trethowan’s Dairy
trethowansdairy.co.uk
Barely two weeks a er its striking goats’ milk cheese took the globe by storm, maker Quesos y Besos speaks to FFD about its origins in Andalusia, what makes its products unique and, of course, how the world-famous Olavidia is made.
By Michael Lane
WHENEVER A WORLD CHAMPION cheesemaker is in the room to witness their creation win one of the most coveted prizes in cheese, emotions run high. Surrounded by the cheers from a home crowd in the auditorium at Oviedo’s Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos and swamped by photographers, Silvia Peláez and her husband Paco Romero seemed calmer than some previous recipients but the triumph has certainly a ected them.
“It’s something that we’re going to carry in our hearts forever,” Peláez tells FFD nearly a fortnight a er their square-shaped, so , goats’ milk cheese – featuring a distinctive layer of ash – beat more than 4,000 cheeses to the trophy at the 33rd World Cheese Awards. “We don’t think there’s any experience that can match it in our lives.”
Given some of its competitors in the Top 16 at the Awards – including a Parmigiano Reggiano, a Gorgonzola Dolce, an Epoisses and several Gouda-style cheeses – even Peláez herself was shocked that a more subtle and non-traditional cheese like Olavidia was deemed the best cheese on the planet.
And this victory is all the more remarkable given that this small operation, called Quesos y Besos (‘cheese and kisses’) has only been in existence since 2017 in the small town of Guarromán on the northern edge of Andalusia.
When it was rst set up by the couple back then, global acclaim was the least of their concerns. Like many food start-ups, Quesos y Besos came to be because Peláez and Romero had become jaded with nearly two decades of working in the chemical engineering sector.
The values of corporate world weren’t sitting right with them and they had two small children who they wanted to experience what they did when they were younger.
“Both Paco and I come from the countryside,” says Peláez, referring speci cally to the area of Andalusia north of Jaen, near the border with the central region of Castile-La Mancha. “We grew up there and Paco’s family have a goat farm.
The couple decided to combine their search for a purer life with their family business and settled on cheesemaking, with the caveat that they would pursue their own creations rather than sticking to traditional recipes.
“The farm is very strategically placed in what we call the gateway to Andalusia, very close to La Mancha,” says Peláez, adding that they set up the creamery in Guarromán 45 minutes down the road because it was logistically more sensible.
It now takes 2,500 litres of milk a week from the 360-strong herd at the farm, which is now run by Romero’s sister, as well as from a neighbouring farm – and turns it into a variety of cheeses.
The goats are all of the Cabra Malagueña breed, typical of Andalusia and able to cope with the farm’s mountainous terrain.
While the goats are all from single herds it is the landscape and the animals’ diets – and how it translates into the milk – that Peláez says di erentiate Quesos y Besos’s output from others.
And the olive tree also plays a key part in Quesos y Besos’s most famous cheese of all – providing the ash that creates a stark line through Olavidia’s snow white paste.
Before that stage of the make, there are several steps and many hours waiting.
“This is the easiest and the most di cult cheese at the same time,” says Peláez, who says they begin by pasteurising the milk when it comes in from the farm. This is done at a low temperature and slowly – 63°C for 25-30 minutes to be precise. The milk is then le to cool down and coagulate for 24 hours, lowering the pH in the process.
A er this moulding begins, ladling curds in halfway before adding that all important layer of ash, which is produced locally for the cheesemaker by crushing and burning olive stones, before more curd is ladled in.
The cheese is turned at least three times in the mould. The next day, it is salted and then matured to allow surface ora to develop on the outside.
It’s clearly a labour of love, which appropriately lives up to the producer’s business name, but FFD cannot resist asking a question that is on the minds of many turophiles around the world. Does that layer of ash do anything other than look very pretty? “It happened almost by chance, like most things,” says Peláez. “We tried adding paprika, aromatic herbs and then decided to try ash. When we did, we noticed that it reduced moisture in the cheese and increased the creaminess.”
Practical and beautiful are adjectives that could be used for a good deal of the cheeses that emerge from this Andalusian creamery.
Cheeses made with lactic coagulation, namely Olavidia and the similarly square but ash-coated Valleoscuro, are the main focus of production.
“It was something we wanted to do di erently because we’re so close to the region producing Manchego – La Mancha,” says Peláez, who adds that the cheeses she are most proud of are their fresh ones (Queso Fresco).
Quesos y Besos also makes a number of cheeses with rennet and raw milk, including red-tinged Colono and the traditionally Spanish-looking Guarromántico, as well as varieties preserved in olive oil and those that are produced with a mixture of lactic and rennet-induced coagulation – most notably Camembeso cheese which also made it into the Top 16 at the Awards.
Despite the business’s relative infancy, Quesos y Besos is no stranger to winning awards. In 2018, Olavidia was named Best Cheese in Spain at Salón de Gourmets. It’s an experience that has stood them in good stead for the unprecedented level of attention and demand they’ve faced since winning in Oviedo.
Peláez says that in the wake of this early career win they could have looked a er their clients better and endured shortages of cheese in even their own shop but adds: “We made all the mistakes then but we won’t make them now.”
While Quesos y Besos will continue to supply its existing wholesalers, importers and retail customers, there are no plans to up production or expand that client base.
This is good news for retailers who already stock the cheese in the UK, and Peláez assures FFD that sole importer Mevalco will continue to receive regular shipments of Olavidia and its stablemates.
That said, Peláez and Romero intend to use their newfound prominence to highlight the artisan cheesemaking scene in Spain.
It seems that cheese-lovers all over the world would certainly agree.
quesosybesos.es
Tempus set to ditch plastic packaging in favour of home-compostable alternative
By Tom Dale
Tempus Charcuterie is set to change the packaging for its entire range to a more environmentally friendly alternative and explore a greener gas for its refrigeration units in the new year.
After six months of performance testing, the artisan producer is ready to roll out the new home-compostable packs –ditching the foil boards and plastic vacuum bags.
The new packaging will feature cardboard sleeves around a backing board within a completely biodegradable vacuum bag. Although the backing boards are currently foiled, Tempus is moving towards a waxed alternative.
Founder Dhruv Baker said that the move was the natural next step for the business. “One of the founding principles of the business was sustainability,” he said.
“We have always used ex-
Tempus Charcuterie’s founders want to go beyond packaging that is just recyclable
breeding stock for our pork products and ex-dairy cows for our beef. It is better quality meat and is better for the environment –we’re using what is available in this country more efficiently.”
Baker said he had discussed recyclable packaging with cofounder Tom Whitaker but they felt – with the current level of infrastructure in the UK – that didn’t go far enough. “If customers can just put it in their compost heap, then that’s a win-win.”
The business is also in the process of designing a new production unit and is exploring the possibility of using CO2 powered refrigeration units – a relatively new technology that promises to be greener than traditional refrigerants.
“We’ve been working with a couple of specialist firms to see if there’s a way we can build these incredibly technical systems that run on CO2 – which has a far lower environmental impact – into our business,” said Baker.
“It’s not cheap, these things never are, but given our stance is on sustainability, it has to run through the business top to bottom – we’re not just paying lip service.”
Baker said that despite the costs involved, it is the right move for the business and that Tempus was “willing to make the margin sacrifice”.
“There will be a cost implication, we understand that, but it helps me and my business partner to sleep at night knowing that we’re doing everything we can.”
tempusfoods.com
Calabrian classic reimagined with venison
What may be England’s northernmost charcuterie producer has launched its version of the Calabrian classic, ‘nduja.
In keeping with Hammond Charcuterie’s standout lines, its incarnation of the spreadable salumi is made with venison, in place of the traditional pork, and the highest grade of pork fat, leaf lard, known for its soft texture and neutral flavour.
Described by the Berwickupon-Tweed-based producer as “warm, rather than hot” in spice, the oak-smoked venison ‘nduja “is already a huge favourite” among the brand’s customers, said owner Rachel Hammond.
“It has lots of smoky sweetness as well as the usual nduja funk and fat,” she said.
“We think it is perfect with white meats such as turkey, especially on toasted sandwiches as well as on canapes, in pasta for a quick supper, or on fish.”
Hammond Charcuterie’s Oak Smoked Wild Venison Nduja retails at £15 per whole sausage (minimum 250g) and is sold to the trade at £50/kg, with a suggested retail price of £90/kg.
hammondcharcuterie.co.uk
Raft of changes at Suffolk Salami
Suffolk Salami is adding three lines to its range, has reduced the plastic in some of its packaging by half, and has received Suffolk Carbon Charter accreditation for its carboncutting efforts.
The East Anglian producer launched its Suffolk Mortadella earlier this year, and is ready to release its coppa – set to replace the brand’s lomo – as well as charcuterie sharing platters in the coming months.
On top of these new lines, the family business reduced the packaging of its whole small salamis by 50%, ditching the wraparounds and tags, and has been awarded Suffolk Carbon Charter’s Silver accreditation – a regional scheme aimed at SMEs who are making an effort to reduce their carbon emissions. It gained this recognition by using renewable energy across the business and installing solar panels to power its curing and drying rooms.
suffolksalami.co.uk
