Key Dates 2021

How the competition works

Cheeses are sent from all round the world to be judged in a single day by carefully assembled teams of technical experts, buyers, retailers and food writers.

Judges work in teams of three, to identify any cheeses worthy of a gold, silver or bronze award. They looked at the rind and the body of the cheese, its colour, texture, consistency and, above all, its taste. Each of the teams then nominate one exceptional cheese as the Super Gold from their table.

These top-flight cheeses are the best in the world and were then judged a second time by the Super Jury of internationally-recognised experts, who each selected a cheese to champion in the final round of judging. The Super Jury, representing all four corners of the globe, then debated the final cheeses in front of a live consumer and trade audience, before choosing the World Champion Cheese live on WCA TV, with cheese lovers across the globe tuning in for the drama.

As well as striving for Bronze, Silver, Gold and Super Gold, there are country and cheese specific trophies.

The next competition will open for entry in August 2021.  Register your interest below.

World Cheese entry alerts

Sign up below to receive World Cheese entry information updates (trade only). Please note: This form is only to register your interest in entering World Cheese and is not the entry form itself.

2021 Entry information

How does it work?

The first step to entering is to register and pay for your entries online via the MyGuild portal once entry is open from 23 August 2021.  You can register your company details in advance, but please try to avoid setting up a duplicate company account.  If someone in your business has already got a company account, then they can add you as a user.

Entry information and guidance will be uploaded to this page over the next few weeks, ahead of entry opening on 23 August 2021.

Delivery instructions

Consolidation points are organised across the world to receive World Cheese Awards entries from cheesemakers and from there the cheeses are transported to the judging venue.

Delivery instructions will be issued to confirmed entrants in October 2021 via your MyGuild account.  Normally you will be asked to make delivery to the consolidation point nearest to your business and will be provided with delivery labels, guidance on the quantity to send and the latest date by which the cheeses can be received.

Please do not send any cheeses until you have received your delivery instructions.

Important information

Entries to World Cheese Awards can be accepted from producers based in countries authorised to import dairy products to the EU.  To view the list of permitted countries please see : Directive 2011/163/EU

These countries are:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Belarus
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Canada
• Chile
• Colombia
• Great Britain
• Guernsey
• India*
• Isle of Man
• Israel
• Japan
• Jersey
• Moldova
• Montenegro
• New Zealand
• North Macedonia
• Philippines*
• Russia
• San Marino
• Serbia
• Singapore**
• South Korea*
• Switzerland
• Thailand*
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates***
• United States
• Uruguay

*Third countries using only raw material either from Member States or from other third countries approved for imports of such raw material to the Union, in accordance with Article 2, with the purpose to be used only for the preparation of composite products to be exported to the EU.

**Third countries using only raw material either from Member States or from other third countries approved for imports of such raw material to the Union, in accordance with Article 2.

***camel milk only

See Directive 2011/163/EU for further information.

If the country of origin of the cheese is not listed above, it may still be possible to accept the entries to World Cheese Awards as long as the cheese’s country of origin is indicated in Annex 1 of the Regulation (UE) 605/2010 and the cheesemaker can provide evidence that the cheese has undergone, or been produced from raw milk which has undergone, a heat treatment involving:

(a) a sterilisation process to achieve an F₀ value equal to or greater than three;

(b) an ultra high temperature (UHT) treatment at not less than 135°C in combination with a suitable holding time;

(c) (i) a high temperature short time pasteurisation treatment (HTST) at 72°C for 15 seconds applied twice to milk with a pH equal to or greater than 7.0 achieving, where applicable, a negative reaction to a alkaline phosphatase test, applied immediately after the heat treatment; or

(ii) a treatment with an equivalent pasteurisation effect to point (i) achieving, where applicable, a negative reaction to an alkaline phosphatase test, applied immediately after the heat treatment;

(d) a HTST treatment of milk with a pH below 7.0; or

(e) a HTST treatment combined with another physical treatment by either:

     (i) lowering the pH below 6 for one hour, or

     (ii) additional heating equal to or greater than 72°C, combined with desiccation.

ALL cheesemakers entering cheeses from countries outside of the EU MUST ensure that they can provide an export health certificate, signed by an official veterinarian in the country of origin.

The health certificate must be based on those issued by the health authorities in the country of origin of the cheeses.  The templates should be based on the following models:

• Model MILK-RMP/NT for products that are not required to undergo a specific risk-mitigating treatment
• Model DAIRY PRODUCTS-PT for products that are required to undergo a pasteurization treatment

Cost of entry