The World Cheese Awards
A truly global cheese event, World Cheese brings together cheesemakers, retailers, buyers and food commentators worldwide to judge over 5,000 cheeses from over 40 countries.
Taking place annually, the World Cheese Awards is hosted by different nations, working with the Guild of Fine Food to shine a light on local cheesemaking, food & drink tourism and culture.
Put your cheese in front of international experts
World Cheese Awards exists to encourage cheesemakers from across the globe, allowing them to present their cheese to an international body of experts, and often shining a light on small, artisan producers.
As an accreditation that assesses each cheese on its own merit, an award ensures your product stands out on crowded cheese counters, regardless of the size of your business. It can also provide motivation for your team, as well as increasing sales and brand awareness by showcasing it on an international world stage.
World Cheese Awards directs more focus and encouragement for artisan and farmhouse cheeses than any other competition by offering worldwide consolidated shipping points to assist cheesemakers with the logistics and cost of shipping their entries.
A judge assessing a cheese at the World Cheese Awards 2022
Key dates for next edition
11 June 2026
Open for entry – enter now
15 September 2026
Entry closes – OR before if capacity is reached
Early November 2026
Deliveries due to the consolidation points – exact delivery dates, delivery labels, addresses & instructions will be issued to entrants nearer the delivery date
11 November 2026
Cheese entries staged
12 November 2026
World Cheese Awards judging
12 – 15 November 2026
Andalucía-Gusto del Sur International Cheese Festival 2026
November 2026
Results will be verified and published 24-48 hours after judging
16 November 2026
Trophy winners announced
Tasting a cheese at World Cheese Awards 2022
Entry cost per cheese
| company size | cost per product |
|---|---|
| Small business (turnover less than £1m) | £61 |
| Medium business (turnover between £1-5m) | £76 |
| Large business (turnover more than £5m) | £101 |
World Cheese Awards cheese judging 2023
Manchego at World Cheese Awards 2022
World Cheese Awards Categories
Please read the categories list to check your cheese is eligible before making your entry.
World Cheese Awards 2023 judging table
Important note regarding eligibility:
Ensure you have read the Terms & conditions and categories list to check your cheese is eligible before you start. A sample entry form is also available to help you prepare the information needed.
See below for information on additional documents required for sending entries.
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
Please note that entrants from certain countries will require additional documentation to comply with EU import regulations.
For producers based in Zone 1 (EU / EFTA)
- You will need to send a commercial invoice with each entry (a template will be provided with your delivery instructions)
For producers in Zone 2 (Annexe XVII) and Zone 3 (Annexe XVIII)
- You will need to send a commercial invoice and packing list with each entry
- You will additionally need to provide a Free Sale Certificate (which can be found on your government website) and an Export Health Certificate, which has been signed by a qualified veterinarian (we will provide templates and further detail with your delivery instructions)
- We strongly advise you visit your government website for more information concerning Free Sale Certificates prior to making your entry
Your delivery instructions will be sent once your entry has been accepted and paid for, and our consolidation points are ready to receive them. Please keep an eye on your inbox for further information. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, email [email protected] and a member of the team will get back to you.
ELIGIBILITY OF ENTRIES
The host country of the World Cheese Awards determines the import legislation for entries each year. Unfortunately, we are not permitted to accept entries from all countries.
In 2025, we were NOT permitted to accept entries of cheeses from a select number of countries, including Bangladesh, Barbados, Ecuador, Georgia, Peru, Russia, Taiwan and Venezuela. We were also NOT permitted to accept raw milk cheeses from countries in Annex 18.
A flavour wheel at the World Cheese Awards 2022
Andalucía-Gusto del Sur International Cheese Festival 2026
Córdoba, Andalucia: 12 – 15 November 2026
Watch: What is the World Cheese Awards?
Available to view with Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian or English subtitles.
Global delivery points
To ensure cheesemakers of all sizes from around the world have access to entry, the Guild of Fine Food supports producers with a network of free delivery points across six continents. Eighteen consolidated shipping points globally give entrants, however small, the chance to ship their cheeses to a local depot, with consolidated forwarding to the competition covered by the Guild of Fine Food.
The judging panel
The quality and balance of our judging panel 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: last year, judges came from 38 countries – often supported with travel arrangements to make sure any barriers to attending were limited – and represented technologists, graders, retailers, journalists, buyers, chefs, producers and key industry professionals and influencers.
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. This ensures we achieve a balance of age, gender, and discipline within the dairy industry.
If you know of anyone you think would make a valuable addition to the judging panel, please get in touch.
What happens if you win an award?
As well as our own campaigns we run through PR and the independent trade, we want you to be able to share your good news with everybody, whether online, on the shelves or in the local press.
These are some of the different ways we can help.
WOrld cheese awards 2026
Enter your cheese
The World Cheese Awards 2026 is taking place in November 2026. Entry is now open and will close on 15 September (or before if capacity is reached).
Supporting our winners
Labels
Simple and quick ways to promote your award, without the expense of changing your packaging
Logo artwork
Logo artwork is available for all to download and it is completely free for our smaller entrants
Keep stockists up to date
Make sure everyone knows where to buy your product worldwide. Looking for a stockist? Talk to us about an enhanced directory listing.
Free downloadable certificates
All producers can download bespoke certificates to use on your social media, take to shows or frame for all to see
Sign up for entry and results alerts
Make sure you receive all the latest for producers about World Cheese Awards and other Guild of Fine Food activities
SubscribeWatch: World Cheese Awards TV highlights
Watch: World Cheese Awards TV full stream on demand
Ver: World Cheese Awards TV en Español
What our judges say
Host and institutional sponsors of this year’s event:
Sponsors of this year’s event:
Photo gallery
Need help?
Contact our team on [email protected] or +44 (0) 1747 825 200