Andre Excellent from Andre Juustufarm in Estonia has been named the Best Central & Eastern European Cheese, sponsored by Kozí V?šok, at the 31st edition of the World Cheese Awards in Bergen, Norway following a record breaking 3,472 entries being judged in a single day at the city’s iconic Grieg Hall.
Visiting Norway for the first time this year to form part of the brand new food festival, Matnasjonen Norge, the World Cheese Awards judged entries from over 40 different countries on Friday 2 November. Nine hours of judging later, the Super Jury named Fanaost, made by Norwegian cheesemaker, Ostegården, World Champion Cheese 2018, after the aged gouda stood out at every stage of the blind tasting process.
With a total of three Super Gold, five Gold, three Silver and 13 Bronze awards going to entries from Central & Eastern Europe this year, the World Cheese Awards has once again provided an internationally recognised seal of approval for many of this region’s top cheesemakers. Among the other winners taking awards back to Central & Eastern Europe are a Super Gold winning Paški sir from Sirana Gligora d.o.o. in Croatia, a Silver winning Kozí V?šok semi-hard 3 month old goat’s milk cheese from Leonteus Ltd. in Slovakia, a Bronze winning Novák Szénája from Nováksajt in Hungary and a Bronze winning Fermented Sheep Cheese Tierra de Valcea from SC Five Continent SRL in Romania.
Records were broken across the board this year, as more nations than ever before entered cheeses into the world’s biggest cheese-only event. Representing 41 different countries, entries made their way by boat, truck, train and plane via 12 consolidation points around the world, from places including Brazil, Kenya, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa and the USA. 235 judges from 30 countries then tasted, nosed and graded cheeses from six continents, giving Bronze, Silver, Gold and Super Gold awards to worthy entries.
As 3,472 eventually became 16, the crowds then watched on as the International Super Jury debated the world’s top cheese. Made up of the finest palates from the international cheese community, this year’s panel featured cheese makers, cheesemongers, buyers, chefs, retailers and writers. Judges including José Pizarro, critically acclaimed Spanish chef, Cathy Strange, global executive coordinator for Whole Foods Market in the USA, Claus Meyer, co-founder of Noma in Denmark, and Nick Tsioros, owner of Olympic Cheese in Toronto, all put forward their chosen cheeses live on World Cheese TV, before crowning this year’s World Champion Cheese.
Source: Guild of Fine Food