Key Dates 2023/24

Entry information - World Cheese Awards 2023

English  |  Terms & Conditions |  Category List  | Sample Entry Form | Consolidation Points
French  |  Règlement Du Concours | Points de regroupement
Greek  | Οροι και προϋποθέσεισ| ΣΗΜΕΙΑ ΣΥΓΚΕΝΤΡΩΣΗΣ
Italian  | Termini E Condizioni| Punti di consolidamento
Japanese | 応募条件 | 集積地
Portuguese  | Termos E Condições| Pontos de consolidação
Spanish  | Términos Y Condiciones| Categorias de las entradas | Puntos de consolidación

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.  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.

Eligibility

Please note the host country determines the import legislation for entries and it is likely that we will not be permitted to accept entries from all countries.  The permitted list of countries has now been published and in 2023 we are not permitted to accept entries of cheeses from a select number of countries, including (but not limited to) Bangladesh, Barbados, Ecuador, Georgia, Peru, Russia, Taiwan and Venezuela.  There are restrictions on more countries to determine whether raw cheeses can be entered. Please check the delivery instructions link below for full details. If you entered the awards and are subsequently were unable to submit cheese due to the licensing restrictions, we will refund your entry fees straight away. This will be communicated and arranged in plenty of time before delivery is required, so you do not waste product or incur courier fees. Please note if you are permitted to send cheese, it is your responsibility to make sure it gets to the location specified in your delivery instructions and refunds will not be given in this case if cheese does not arrive.

Delivery instructions

Delivery Instructions / Instructions d’expédition / Οδηγίεσ Παράδοσησ / Istruzioni di Consegna / Instruções de Entrega / Instrucciones de entrega

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 dates and addresses will be issued to confirmed entrants in early Autumn 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 for entries from outside of Norway

If you are planning to enter cheeses from a country outside of Norway, you will be required to provide documentation to ensure that your cheeses will be accepted for delivery in Norway. Please refer to the delivery instructions document above for full information and guidance on documents required.

If you have any questions about the documents please contact worldcheese@gff.co.uk.

The judging panel

The quality and balance of our judging panel is really important to us. This gives the World Cheese Awards the credibility and trust that has been built up over 30 years.  We work hard on the panel every year to make sure judges from across the world are included.  Last year, judges came from 38 countries – often supported with travel arrangements by us and the host country to make sure any barriers to attending were limited – and represented technologists, graders, retailers, journalists, buyers, chefs, producers and key industry professionals and influencers.

This year we look forward to welcoming a similarly diverse panel to Trondheim.  Every year, the judging panel is reconsidered, and every person assessed for what they bring to the overall group.  There are many wonderful cheese professionals around the world who could bring their expertise to the panel and places are rotated for each edition.  Every year, we receive new suggestions for the panel and each year new judges are added having submitted a satisfactory application and biography. This ensures we achieve a balance of age, gender, and discipline within the dairy industry.

We’re always open to suggestions, so if you know of anyone you think would make a valuable addition to the judging panel, please email judges@gff.co.uk and they will be considered for the next edition.

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 then judged a second time by the Super Jury – a panel made up of around 16 internationally-recognised experts – who each select a cheese to champion in this final round of judging. The Super Jury, representing all four corners of the globe, then debate the final cheeses in front of a live consumer and trade audience, before voting to choose the World Champion Cheese, broadcast around the world 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 to celebrate the highest scoring cheeses.

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.

What happens if you win a World Cheese award?

We want you to be able to share your good news with everybody, whether online, on the shelves or in the local press.

Click here to see some of the different ways we can help.

2022 Results

Results of this year’s competition are now live.  Entrants are able to log into their MyGuild account and all winners are available on worldcheeseawards.com.

Final 16 Super Gold – download full list

Trophy winners – download full list

Winners will be able to promote their win with certificates, labels & logo artwork.  Click here for for information on: What happens if you win an award?

Cost of entry