Newport, Wales (CNN) – When you gather 4,434 cheeses from 42 countries in one room to discover the best, there is inevitably a sense of excitement in the air. There is, of course, also a very, very strong smell.
This intoxicating and semi-intoxicating mix of mature dairy and friendly competition swirled around a UK conference center on Wednesday as 250 international judges sniffed, prodded and chomped along tables moaning cheese to decide which should take the crown at the 2022 edition of the World Cheese Awards. .
This year’s winner, gruyère of Switzerland, was chosen by a panel of senior judges after the stadium was reduced first to 98 “Super Gold” champions and then to the final 16.
The judges described Le Gruyère AOP surchoix, introduced by Swiss cheese maker Vorderfultigen and Affineur (refined) Gourmino, as a “hand-polished cheese” that melts on the tongue and has notes of herbs, fruits, and leather. “Cheese with lots of flair and bouquet.”
Ripe cheese, Gruyere is slightly crumbly and made from raw cow’s milk.
Coming in second place was Gorgonzola Dolce DOP, a soft, buttery blue cheese made by De’ Magi of Italy.
Le Gruyère AOP surchoix is the world’s #1 new cheese.
Guild of fine food
Winner selection
So how do you choose the winning cheese among thousands of actors?
The hard work began shortly after 10 am in the International Conference Center on the outskirts of the Welsh city of Newport when judges stormed the main event hall to the strains of a male Welsh voice choir.
After a few minutes of unpacking, unpacking and unleashing, each of the 98’s judging tables transformed into a snappy, diverse terrain.
Giant wax wheels sat next to the soft trunks of small goats. There was towering blues, flat cream medallions, and majestic cheddar plates. There were cheeses in the form of witch hats and flowers, and cheeses wrapped in nettle leaves or covered with ashes. There were simple cheeses. There were cheesecakes resembling cakes, elaborately decorated with fruit.
There were whites, oranges, blues – even purple.
At least one cheese looked like it was painted by Jackson Pollock’s abstract expressionist.
blind tasting
Cheese came in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
Barry Neild / CNN
All cheeses were taste blind, though, choosing from among an army of cheesemakers, sellers, writers, and other assorted experts, many knew more or less what they were sinking their teeth into. A few of the popular, big-name commercial cheeses can be spotted within a mile.
On Table 14, judges Daniel Bliss and Philip Domain got off to a shaky start with a disappointing Brie-style product.
“It’s very one dimensional,” Bliss said, hitting the results in an iPad. “It could be good for cooking or baking, but it’s not the best cheese in the world. I’m looking for a cheese to take me on a journey.”
Judges were tasked with rating each of the 50 or so types of cheese by visual appearance, smell, flavor and feel in the mouth. The best ranked gold, silver or bronze, and each judging table selected one as “super gold”.
Judges Kazuaki Tomiyama and Tom Chatfield tasting cheese at Table 18.
Barry Neild / CNN
At table 18, Tom Chatfield and Kazuaki Tomiyama were giving ripe, moldy goat cheese a good boost and preparing for more disappointments.
“It looks like he’s lost some of his integrity,” Chatfield said, before stepping in. “It’s a bit overripe, you can smell the ammonia, but considering I had to travel here, I’ll be a charity.” After consulting with Tomiyama, she is awarded 18 out of a maximum of 35.
“If we had seen it two or three days ago, it would have been much better.”
Next in Table 18 is something like rotten figs and described by its producers as “enzymatic coagulation”. Despite that, it tastes great.
“It’s very small and very clean,” says Chatfield as the pair of judges scored it with 29 points. “Some cheeses have a continuous song. This is a 15-second song, but it’s not a full orchestra. Some cheeses will continue to sing.”
commercial benefit
A Ukrainian delegation presented samples of Ukrainian cheese.
Barry Neild / CNN
With the room full of cheese and people who love cheese, there’s an upbeat mood during the early judging stages that cut through the resonant hum of the contest entries.
However, there is a serious side to the World Cheese Awards.
John Farrand, managing director of the Fine Food Guild which organized the 34th edition of the annual event in partnership with the Welsh government, says victory could propel a small-scale cheesemaker into big time.
He cites the case of Norwegian cheese producer Ostegården, which triumphed a few years ago when the owner was about to retire. The victory inspired his son to change his career plans and return to the family farm, eventually building a small operation into a major source.
“Commercial success matters,” Varane told CNN in the middle of the morning tasting sessions. “But it’s also a big bet on the back. Winning means something to them and their team is as good as any business interest.”
Farrand added that hosting the event is also a big deal, as Wells hopes it will help highlight local cheeses and the broader food industry.
It’s a spotlight that was destined to fall on Ukraine this year. The country had to postpone the hosting role due to the Russian invasion.
This did not prevent 39 Ukrainian cheeses from entering the competition.
The conflict has been hitting the cheese makers hard, said Natalie Kahadi of Ukrainian cheese distributor Ardis, who brought in and set up a side-event booth.
“But we keep working,” she told CNN. “We are not stopping our production. We are fighting our war with cheese.”
“bite and feel”
The best cheeses were awarded gold, silver and bronze status.
Barry Neild / CNN
Back in the judging tables, the potential winners began to appear as the morning came. In Table 61, Keith Kendrick and Shomana Palette select two gold winners.
“Everything was beautifully balanced,” says Palette, tapping on a cowboy cheeseburger that looks so simple. “It had a good feeling, it was wonderfully intricate – and most importantly, we agreed on it.”
On schedule 95, Emma Young, Ben Teichhurst and Matt Lardy – three experts with more than 30 years of experience in the industry – were eyeing two Spanish cheeses, one of which would be the “super gold” winner.
“This is beautiful, really fruity and fun,” Young says after using a cheese iron to sample a first. “It has a little bit of a bite and a texture. It tastes like strawberry laces.”
It is the second cheese, which bears printed patterns from the basket in which it was ripened, and passes until the next round. “It’s perfect,” Young said. “It’s a great example of Manchego.”
high cheese
Cheese was judged in terms of appearance, smell, taste and mouth taste.
Barry Neild / CNN
Meanwhile on Schedule 70, where another ammonia-infused cheese was turning to judges for apple slices to clean the palate, a sampling of dozens of dairy products was starting to take its toll.
“After eating 20 cheeses, they start to dip,” Dutch judge Gijs Dankers said. Other judges stated that they were experiencing a “cheese rapture” and “sweat”.
Chris Lloyd, Australian cheesemaker and judge of Table 17, was disappointed with the quality of some of the entries. “You can tell when someone starts with really good milk and doesn’t mess with it,” she said. “But we saw a lot of messing around this morning.”
Away from the judging tables, Jenny Lee, who had only recently started producing cheese with her husband in Torpenhow, a farmland in the green hills of rural North Cumbrian in the UK, was looking forward to it.
She hoped her cheese would do justice to the milk produced by her “hybrid” herd of Jersey, Friesian, and Norwegian red cows.
She said, “It’s wonderful.” “We feel this world of cheese is so friendly and so supportive, we’re really excited to be here.”