This year, the World Cheese Awards brought together 4,786 cheeses from 47 countries in the Portuguese city of Viseu. 240 experts gave their verdict, with the United Kingdom not being selected due to delays at customs due to Brexit.
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Buttery Sheep’s Cheese. Will you understand parler?
It is a soft, buttery-tasting sheep’s cheese from Portugal, made by Quinto do Pomar in the Serra da Gardunha in the center of the country. He was designated as the best cheese in the world.
This Portuguese cheese topped the list of World Cheese Awards of this year, which were held in Viseu, in the north of Portugal, beating two Swiss cheeses (Tea Fondada and Alpenhorn Mifroma – second and third places), as well as Spanish and American cheeses (La Cava Barus García-Baquero and Bayley Hazen Blue, who completed the Top 5).
Scroll down to see all of this year’s winners.
The event, organized by the Guild of Fine Food, a British organizationsaw a record 4,786 registrations from 47 countries around the world, making this year’s edition the largest to date.
However, British cheesemakers did not participate to this edition after the country’s “submissions” were held back by post-Brexit issues.
It turned out that the cheeses had not passed customs, and up to 252 cheeses from 67 British manufacturers could have been affected.
John Farrand, director of the Guild of Fine Food, said that these delays “would never have existed” before the UK left the EU.
“The reasons are not clear to me, even on Friday we were still fighting to get some clarity and clear instructions on what was wrong, but we did not succeed,” Mr Farrand told the ‘Observe.
“Before Brexit, this would never have existed. It’s a fact.”
Judge James Grant, co-founder of the Real Cheese Project, pointed out the “Brexit red tape”calling the incident “devastating”.
“The UK is going through an incredible change when it comes to cheese,” Mr Grant told the Observer, adding: “These cheesemakers are working hard and putting artisan cheese back on the map. from the scene. It’s really, really sad.”
Great Britain has not won since 2017, and had not placed a cheese in the top 14 this year.
Here are this year’s winners:
- Buttery Sheep Cheese, Quinta do Pomar, Portugal
- Tea Fondada, Chascharia Val Müstair, Switzerland
- Alpenhorn Mifroma, Elsa Group (Mifroma), Suisse
- La Cava Barus García-Baquero, Lacteas Garcia Baquero, Spain
- Bayley Hazen Blue, Cellars at Jasper Hill, United States
- Pecorino Bislacco with Rum and Tobacco, Petrucci, Italy
- Blugins, La Casearia Carpenedo, Italy
- Creamy Lion Cheese, Walo von Mühlenen, Suisse
- Passionata, Biopark, Brazil
- Godbiten, Snertingdal Ysteri, Norway
- Old Witch, Lake Constance Cheese, Suisse
- Valleclaro, Cheeses and Kisses, Spain
- Baldauf 1862 masterpiece Alpkäse, Baldauf cheese, Allemagne
- Tatie, Latteria Moro di Moro Sergio, Italy
The 4,786 cheeses were rated in four categories – visual appearance, body and texture, aroma, flavor and mouthfeel – and were evaluated by 240 judges from 40 countries.
