WORLD CHEESE

When the caws came home

The world’s largest cheese only-event took place at the ICC Wales on Wednesday, 2nd November 2022 and welcomed more entrants than ever before.

This special report rounds up all the major trophy winners, takes a closer look at the World Champion cheese and documents the latest Young Cheesemonger of the Year competition.

Principal Global Partner

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox Photos by Simon Regan and Matt Horwood

When you’re standing in a room full of cheese, the difference between 4,079 and 4,434 might not seem very big. But knowing that this year’s World Cheese Awards once again received its highest number of submissions makes it feel significant.

The 34th edition of the event, which was hosted by the Guild of Fine Food at the ICC Wales in Newport, was also its most international: the cheeses came from 42 countries, and were judged by 267 pundits from 38 countries.

A Le Gruyère AOP was named best cheese on the planet for the fourth time, speaking to the quality of this highly recognisable Swiss classic.

The 12 month “surchoix” version of the cheese made by Vorderfuldigen and matured by Gourmino was billed by the judges as a “really perfect handcrafted cheese,” both smooth and flavoursome, with notes of fruit, herbs and leather. The raw cow’s milk cheese received

almost unanimous top scores from across the panel of super-jurors, and was described by Swiss judge Christian Zuercher as “well balanced and long lasting.”

Close behind the victorious cheese was a Gorgonzola Dolce DOP from De’ Magi Formaggi, and three cheeses tied in third position.

Among the top 16, a quarter were British, with Spenwood (Village Maid) winning the trophy for Best British Cheese. Devon Blue, made by Ticklemore Cheese Dairy, Gorwydd Caerphilly (Trethowan’s) and Norton & Yarrow’s Sinodun Hill all staked their claim for the title of World Cheese Champion.

Altogether, British cheeses won 148 awards this year, including 11 Super Gold, 24 Gold, 56 Silver and 57 Bronze. Errington Cheese’s Blackmount was named Best Scottish Cheese, Caws Cenarth received the title of best Welsh cheese for Thelma’s Traditional Welsh Caerffili.

There were also a number of submissions from Ukraine, which was originally meant to host the awards this year.

The Guild of Fine Food waived all entry fees for cheesemakers from the country, and gave them the opportunity to showcase their cheeses throughout the day.

Representing the nation as a judge, the owner of Ukrainian retail chain Cheese Kingdom Denis Priimagi expressed gratitude for the opportunity and said it was an “honour and pleasure” to attend the event, thanking the team and fellow producers for their support.

Aside from the WCA, the venue also played host to more than 30 producers at the World Cheese Market, and to the Young Cheesemonger of the Year Awards organised by The Academy of Cheese. This title was awarded to Aimée Rogers of Buchanans Cheesemonger in London, with the prize including a spot as a judge at next year’s awards, as well as on the Academy’s Level 2 certification course. CONTINUED ON PAGE 25 

WCA IN NUMBERS

The 34th World Cheese

Awards received a record 4,434 entries from 900 producers in 42

different countries. These were assembled

across 98 tables in a dedicated area at

ICC Wales in Newport, in a day-long event organised by the Guild of Fine Food with support from the Welsh Government. The cheeses were then tasted, assessed and scored during a two-and-a-half-hour morning

session by 267 experts from 38 countries

to determine whether they were worthy of

one of four awards. 1835 entries achieved an award this year: 98 Super Golds (included in) 327 Golds, 576 Silvers and 834 Bronzes.

At a celebratory judges’ dinner after the event, the Guild announced that next year’s World Cheese Awards will be held in Trondheim, Norway. It also revealed the recipient of this year’s Exceptional Contribution to Cheese award – La Fromagerie founder, Patricia Michelson.

The competition was made possible thanks to Welsh Food & Drink with support from the Welsh Government, who not only contributed to funding the event, but helped get it over the line despite the challenging circumstances of having to relocate it just six months before it was due to take place.

The Guild of Fine Food’s managing director, John Farrand thanked the government backed group, as well as every judge, sponsor and partner “for all their continued support and for helping this year’s awards to be bigger and better than ever before, giving the global cheese community a day of well-earned celebration”.

“This year’s World Cheese Awards has been a huge success and Wales has been the perfect canvas for this colourful event. We’ve seen more entries than ever before and it’s great to see such a range of styles and regions represented. To crown Le Gruyère AOP surchoix as this year’s World Champion Cheese is so well deserved. The judges in the room today, our cheese experts from all over the world, were clearly blown away by the quality of the cheese and dedication shown by the cheesemakers.” For the full list of winners, visit

worldcheeseawards.com

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.

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Основний логотип Додатковий логотип з підписом Додатковий логотип Знак

Повноколірний логотип

BEST SOUTH AFRICAN CHEESE

Woolworths mature Gouda 10 months

Lactalis South Africa

BEST UKRAINIAN CHEESE

Syrna Torbynka

Stanislavs’ka Syrovarnya

BEST ITALIAN CHEESE

Gorgonzola Dolce DOP

De’ Magi

BEST NEW CHEESE

Antoine de Fribourg

Walo von Mühlenen Ltd Switzerland

BEST WELSH CHEESE

THELMA’S Traditional Welsh Caerffili Caws Cenarth Wales

LA FROMAGERIE’S PATRICIA MICHELSON RECOGNISED FOR EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION

BRITISH SUPER GOLDS

As well as naming the World Champion Cheese for 2022, the Guild of Fine Food recognised Patricia Michelson, founder of La Fromagerie, for her exceptional contribution to the industry.

Veteran World Cheese Award judge and champion of the artisan cheese sector Michelson opened her first shop, with its renowned tasting café and cheeseroom, in Highbury in 1992, after selling cheese from garden shed (a wheel of Beaufort Chalet d’Alpage) the year prior. The second store followed in Marylebone in 2002, and a third opened up in Bloomsbury in 2017.

She wrote her first book, The Cheese Room, in 2001, introducing readers to what she considered to be the best cheeses from around the world, and her second, CHEESE, in 2010, telling the story of the artisan cheesemakers who supply her shops.

Michelson said receiving the exceptional contribution award was “a very lovely thing”, though a complete shock.

“It came home to me when my grandson said to me, ‘it’s about time, you’ve worked hard all your life, now somebody’s said that you’re good at it, that’s fantastic.’”

“You don’t start a business and go to work everyday hoping to get an award.”

“I wanted to have a business that I could enjoy. I wanted to get up every morning and feel that I was doing a good day’s work and that I was enjoying it, that it wouldn’t become a burden to me.”

Beyond pride for the project itself, she expressed it for her team, who she said “are so much a part of what makes La Fromagerie the place that it is.”

“They have same love for it as I do and they will continue to be the important energy of the business long after I’m gone,” (no time soon, though, she assures us).

For now, she said, “I would like to thank the Guild very much, which has always been very supportive. It’s a great company with a great team. I thank them very much indeed for my award. It sits on my mantelpiece and I see it everyday, it’s lovely.”

• Godminster Vintage – Black Truffle Vintage Organic Cheddar • Village Maid Cheese – Spenwood • Ormos Foods – Ormos Natural Cheese Dip 200g • Trethowan’s Dairy – Gorwydd Caerphilly • Cropwell Bishop Creamery – Whole Blue Stilton (two separate awards) • Lyburn Farmhouse Cheesemakers - Stoney Cross • Norton & Yarrow Cheese – Sinodun Hill • Errington Cheese – Blackmount • High Weald Dairy – Seven Sisters with Hebridean seaweed • Ticklemore Cheese – Devon Blue

VILLAGE MAID’S SPENWOOD WINS BEST BRITISH CHEESE 2022

Berkshire’s much-loved Spenwood was titled Great Britain’s best cheese for 2022. Already a Super Gold in the 2020 World Cheese Awards, Village Maid’s Pecorino-style cheese is made with unpasteurised ewe’s milk and vegetarian rennet. It is then matured for 9 months, which gives it its natural rind.

The cheese also took the 10th spot in the overall World Cheese Award ranking, joining Ticklemore Cheese’s Devon Blue (in 8th position), Norton & Yarrow’s Sinodun Hill (11th) and last year’s Best British Cheese, Gorwydd Caerphilly (12th).

Other trophies went to Errington Cheese’s Blackmount (Best Scottish Cheese) and Thelma’s Traditional Welsh Caerffili by Caws Cenarth (Best Welsh Cheese). In total, 148 British cheesemakers won awards this year, including 10 Super Gold, 24 Gold, 56 Silver and 57 Bronze.

BEST SPANISH CHEESE

Pata de Mulo Curado Los Payuelos

Quesería Artesanal Los Payuelos Spain

BEST BRITISH CHEESE

Spenwood

Village Maid Cheese

BEST JAPANESE CHEESE

Sachi Shiawase cheese

BEST LATIN AMERICAN CHEESE

Lua Cheia

Serra das Antas

BEST LE GRUYÈRE CHEESE

CH 4026 - Vorderfultigen Gourmino Le Gruyère AOP surchoix Interprofession du Gruyère

WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2022-23

A cross section of the World Champion Cheese

LE GRUYÈRE AOP Surchoix from Western Switzerland’s Vordefultigen dairy was voted World Champion at the World Cheese Awards 2022.

Made by Urs Leuenberger in the Canton of Fribourg, and matured by affineur Gourmino, the 48% Fat in Dry Mass (FiDM) cheese is made with raw cow’s milk.

Despite its relatively young age, it is strong tasting and full bodied, with bright, fruit forward flavours and notes of chives and cream. Texture-wise, it is a firm but extremely smooth and moist cheese with a creamy curd.

In contrast with a Reserve cheese, which is aged between 15-18 months – when cheeses become more crystalline, because salt crystals start to appear in the paste - the word ‘surchoix’ indicates that it is of an age profile of around 12 months, as well as referring to it being of the highest quality.

UK retailers can get their hands on it via European Fine Cheese, who have secured enough wheels (also available in cuts) for their customers (and a few more) in the run-up to Christmas, with better availability expected from March 2023.

RRP will be £50/kg and cost to trade will vary.

europeanfinecheese.com

THE TOP 16 SUPER GOLD CHEESES

1 Interprofession du Gruyère

Vorderfultigen Gourmino

Le Gruyère AOP surchoix,

Switzerland (Score: 103)

gruyere.com

2 De’ Magi Gorgonzola Dolce

DOP, Italy (Score: 98)

demagi.it

3 De Fryske, Âlde Fryske,

Netherlands (Score: 94)

defryske.frl

4 Prolactine France, Grosse

Tomme de Bufflonne Cave

Jacobine, France (Score: 94)

prolactinefrance.com

5 Prolactine France, Tomme de chèvre Cave Jacobine, France (Score: 94)

prolactinefrance.com

6 Quesería Artesanal Los

Payuelos, Pata de Mulo

Curado, Spain (Score: 93) queserialospayuelos.com

7 Murray’s Cheese, Greensward,

USA (Score: 92)

murrayscheese.com

8 Ticklemore Cheese, Devon

Blue, UK (Score: 89)

ticklemorecheese.co.uk

9 Prolactine France, Grosse

Tomme de chèvre Cave

Rousseau, France (Score: 89)

prolactinefrance.com

10 Village Maid Cheese

Spenwood, United Kingdom (Score: 89)

villagemaidcheese.co.uk

11 Norton and Yarrow Cheese

Sinodun Hill,United Kingdom (Score: 88)

nortonandyarrow.co.uk

12 Trethowan’s Dairy, Gorwydd

Caerphilly, United Kingdom (Score: 87)

trethowanbrothers.com

13 Rohmilchkäserei Backensholz

GmbH & Co. KG, Großer

Deichkäse 12 Monate,

Germany (Score: 86)

backensholz.de

14 F.LLI PETRUCCI SRL 83 MA-

TRU’, Pecorino Amatriciano,

Italy (Score: 83)

caseificiostoricoamatrice.com

15 Rocca Toscana Formaggi S.R.L,

L’Ambra di Talamello, pecorino stagionato in fosse arenarie a

Talamello, Italy (Score: 82) roccatoscanaformaggi.com

16 Little Cheese Farm, Gentenaer,

Belgium (Score: 81)

littlecheesefarm.be/nl

BEST NORWEGIAN CHEESE

Rørosblå

Eggen Gardsysteri AS

BEST FEMALE CHEESE MAKER

Anne Wigmore

Village Maid Cheese

BEST SCOTTISH CHEESE

Blackmount

Errington Cheese Limited

BEST SMOKED CHEESE

Syrna Torbynka

Stanislavs’ka Syrovarnya

BEST CANADIAN CHEESE

Oveja Negra The Udder Way Artisan Cheese

AIMÉE ROGERS OF BUCHANANS NAMED YOUNG CHEESEMONGER OF THE YEAR THE AWARDS RETURN TO NORWAY NEXT YEAR

For the first time this year, the World Cheese Awards played host to the Young Cheesemonger of the Year finals, the Academy of Cheese awards devised to identify the brightest, freshest talent in the world of cheese retail.

Among the six contenders, 27-year-old Aimée Rogers from County Down in Northern Ireland took the title, but the five others - Julia Treloar from Cheese Boutique in Canada, Tokyo’s Seika Chevallier, La Fromagerie’s Joshua Page and Jessica Summer, and Isabel Parker from The Farm Deli - put up a strong fight.

Tasked with four rounds of challenges, a “cut and wrap” demonstration, a defence of their own cheeseboard selection, an “identification” task - where they were asked to give a report of each cheese’s appearance, texture, smell and taste, using the Academy’s Structured Approach to Tasting Cheese - and a final playfully named ‘MasterRind’ quiz.

The competition was chaired by industry stalward Justin Tunstall and judged by Mathew Carver of The Cheese Bar; founder of the eponymous cheese producer, importer and distributor Tim Rowcliffe; BBC Good Food’s Magazine editor Keith Kendrick and Paxton & Whitfield’s cheese buyer, Dan Bliss.

Rogers’ victory secured her a spot as a judge at the World Cheese Awards 2024 and a place on the Academy of Cheese’s Level 2 certification course.

academyofcheese.org

The 35th World Cheese Awards will take place in Trondheim, Norway, in partnership with HANEN, an organisation representing the country’s rural tourism and farm food industry, following the success of the 31st edition in Bergen in 2018. The event will be held in the city’s Spektrum indoor arena.

More details will be announced soon at gff. co.uk/wca

Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales and Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths exchanges cheese with Head of the Main Committee for Industry of Trøndelag County Authority, Per Olav Skurdal Hopsø, as part of the announcement of Trondheim as the 2023 host

BEST AUSTRALIAN CHEESE

Kris Lloyd Artisan Anthill

Woodside Cheese Wrights Australia

BEST SCA MEMBER CHEESE

Devon Blue

Ticklemore Cheese United Kingdom

THE ANN-MARIE DYAS AWARD FOR BEST ARTISAN CHEESE BEST AMERICAN CHEESE

Greensward Murray’s Cheese

EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO CHEESE

Heart of Gold

This year’s World Cheese Awards saw a gold rush of medals for cheeses from Castile & León, each with their own story to tell

THOUSANDS OF COMPANIES enter the World Cheese Awards each year, but only a small percentage take home a medal. So it’s a special moment for a cheesemaker to find out that one of their products has impressed the judges.

It was an extra special moment for Leónbased Los Payuelos to find out that two of its cheeses – Ybleu and Pata de Mulo Curado - had received the top Super Gold awards at this year’s World Cheese Awards in Newport, Wales. Not just because it was the only cheesemaker in Spain to receive two Super Golds and its hard, sheep’s cheese Pata de Mulo went on to be named Best Spanish Cheese at the awards, but also because it capped a remarkable year that had seen the company bounce back from the brink.

At the beginning of 2022 the company, based in Sahelices del Payuelo, was struggling after sales had been seriously impacted during the pandemic. The owners, brother and sister Francisco and Teresita Vázquez, decided to fight back by launching an ‘SOS’ campaign asking the public to buy 2,000 whole wheels of its Pata de Mulo cheese in April and May in collaboration with cheesemonger Cultivo. The campaign was a huge success, raising more than €50,000 for the company in just a few weeks thanks to a surge in sales from supportive members of the public, who bought the cheese in droves.

The two Super Golds at the World Cheeses Awards were the icing on the cake of what has been a transformational year. “History in the making!” declared the company when it discovered it had won. “We couldn’t be happier. The Super Golds endorse our commitment to top quality and its international recognition. We want to thank all our customers for your support and for choosing us. Without you none of this would be possible.”

Los Payuelos wasn’t the only cheesemaker from Castile and León to celebrate success at the Awards success either. Seven Gold awards, six Silvers and 21 Bronzes were won by producers in the region, across a wide range of different styles and milk types, showing just how diverse and innovative cheesemaking is in Castile and León.

A case in point is Quesos Lavega in Moslares de la Vega, Palencia, which won two Gold medals for two very different cheeses. Lamerón, which is made with organic milk from Fleckvieh breed cows, is a soft washed rind cheese with notes of butter, cream and hay. Its other winner was Roque – a hard, raw sheep’s milk cheese with a natural mould rind that is aged for over six months.

The company has been making sheep’s milk cheese for seven years, but launched a separate organic cow’s cheese milk business in 2021. “Winning two gold medals when we have only been making these cheeses for a year is something we did not expect,” says director Pablo Cuesta. “At the time I found out, I thought it was a mistake because getting a newly created cheese to be the cheese you want is a process that takes years. We are excited that the World Cheese Awards jury has confirmed that we are on the right track. This gives us encouragement and desire to continue improving.”

The win will also help the company in its mission to create employment opportunities for local people in an area of Spain. “The more milk from our farms is transformed in the area, the more employment we will generate in the area,” says Cuesta.

Goat’s milk cheeses from Castile and León also made their mark at the awards thanks to the artisan skills of Quesos Elvira García in Ávila. The family business won Gold awards for its hard cheeses Canto Viejo and Canto de Gredos, made with raw milk from its own herd of Málaga breed goats that graze on diverse pastures in the foothills of the Sierra de Gredos mountains.

“Winning an award at the World Cheese Awards is always a source of great pride, as we consider it the Oscars of cheese,” explains director Francisco Alía. “Our cheese is unique

because we make only and exclusively with milk from our goats. We take great care of their health and nutrition.”

Of course, Castile and León is best known for sheep’s milk cheeses, so it was no surprise to see a Gold medal for another ‘curado’ Pata de Mulo cheese, which is made with raw sheep’s milk by Quesos Gamazo in Melgar de Arriba, Valladolid.

Likewise, Gabino Pérez in Matallán de Valmadrigal, León, won Gold for its traditional hard pressed sheep’s milk cheese Queso de Oveja Viejo. The aged cheese is made with milk sourced from local farms, which reflect the unique terroir of the area.

“Our region is a steppe area with a continental climate in which there have historically been sheep farms due to their easy adaptation to the environment and climatic variations,” explains owner Gabino Pérez Sandoval. “Our cheese’s flavour is strong and slightly spicy with the flavours of the grass, herbs and cereals that the sheep eat.”

The art of affinage also plays an important part in creating an award winning cheese, as shown by the success of Rueda Cheesemonger, which expertly matures cheeses in a 17th Century wine cellar in Serrada. Owner Fernando Aldudo won Gold for his hard cooked cow’s milk cheese Granoro, which he expertly matures for over 18 months deep underground in the naturally humid and cool cellar.

“The batch that I presented to the World Cheese Awards was already two years old,” he explains. “It is a firm, round cheese, with a buttery texture, but with powerful sweet flavours, like toffee caramel, and crystals that cheese lovers like so much. But the texture is very smooth, melting in the mouth, and that is what surprises everyone: a cheese that is very easy to taste, but with a very high flavour intensity. That comes from the refining in a traditional cellar.”

Aldudo adds he sees the awards as a bit like a final exam at school. “They are for me a scale of how you are doing your job,” he says. “A trial by fire. And, oh my God, I passed with a very good grade!”

CASTILE AND LEÓN’S GOLDEN CHEESES

SUPER GOLD: Pata de Mulo Curado, Los Payuelos

This traditional raw sheep’s milk cheese has a distinctive flattened log shape that is said to resemble a mule’s leg (Pato de Mulo translates as ‘mule’s leg’). Matured for at least six months, the texture is firm and the flavour is complex with sheepy, cereal notes.

SUPER GOLD: Ybleu, Los Payuelos

A 10kg French-style blue cheese made with pasteurised sheep’s milk. Creamy with a melting texture and notes of almonds.

GOLD: Lamerón, Quesos Lavega

A 300g soft washed rind cheese, made with organic cow’s milk, Lamerón is aged for six weeks when it is brushed with brine to create the pungent orange rind. The flavour is aromatic with notes of butter and hay.

GOLD: Roque, Quesos Lavega

Made with raw sheep’s milk in 1kg rounds, Roque (Rock) is a hard-pressed cheese with a natural rind that develops over at least six months of maturation. The flavour is intense and persistent, but not spicy.

GOLD: Canto Viejo, Quesos Elvira García

A hard raw goat’s milk cheese, which comes in 3.5kg rounds, Canto Viejo has an intense flavour with dairy and herbaceous notes, plus a fruity, spicy finish.

GOLD: Canto de Gredos, Quesos Elvira García

This 3.5kg natural rinded goat’s milk cheese has a firm texture and clean flavour, which is fruity and malty.

queserialospayuelos.com quesoslavega.com quesoselviragarcia.com quesosgamazo.com quesosgabinoperez.es ruedacheesemonger.com

www.jcyl.es

For more information, contact: promocion.

ice@jcyl.es

GOLD: Pata de Mulo Curado, Quesos Gamazo The 1.8kg cheeses are aged for 6-8 months and have a firm texture, plus a strong, lactic flavour.

GOLD: Queso Oveja Viejo, Gabino Pérez

Firm, compact and ivory in colour with unevenly distributed eyes, the flavour of this classic sheep’s milk cheese is strong and slightly spicy with grassy and cereal notes.

GOLD: Granoro, Rueda Cheesemonger

A hard cooked cow’s milk cheese aged for at least 18 months in a naturally humid and cool cellar, Granoro is sweet and buttery with a crystalline texture, which also manages to melt in the mouth.