At the Swiss Cheese Awards, traditional artisanal practice is given centre stage. Cheese dairies from across Switzerland send their best cheesemakers to submit their most exquisite products to the competition.
How does the Swiss Cheese Awards work?
The Swiss Cheese Awards is a national competition that showcases the diversity and quality of Swiss cheese culture. The event runs over several days and includes various competition phases as well as a formal awards ceremony.
The competition begins with the qualifying rounds, in which around 1000 cheeses are judged in 33 categories. An international jury of around 200 experts appraise the entries based on clearly defined criteria. A winner is chosen for each category.
In the next stage, all 33 category winners compete against each other again in front of a ‘Super Jury’. This group of experts then selects the three Swiss Champions in the Extra-Hard/Hard Cheese, Semi-Hard Cheese and Soft/Fresh Cheese categories.
There is also a public cheeseboard competition in which participants present their creatively designed cheese platters on site. A jury judges the arrangements and selects the best cheeseboard.
The Swiss Cheese Awards will conclude with the official Awards Night. All category winners, the three Swiss Champions and the winner of the cheeseboard competition will be officially crowned on this evening.
Who is on the jury?
The jury is made up of around 200 experts from the cheese industry and the catering trade as well as media representatives and consumers. To obtain as objective a picture as possible, jurors from abroad are also invited every year. The jury works in the name and on behalf of Fromarte, the umbrella organisation of Swiss cheese specialists. Fromarte is responsible for the competition and ensures a fair contest and compliance with the regulations.
Laboratoire du Goût
Fromarte organises the “Laboratoire du Goût” competition in conjunction with a vocational college for the food industry. In parallel to the qualifying round, a somewhat smaller selection of cheeses will be judged by a jury consisting of apprentices in the catering/kitchen sector. They too choose their best cheese, the winner of the “Laboratoire du Goût” category.
Is it possible to sample the winning cheeses? Yes, at the cheese market!
The Cheese Festival takes place in the centre of town on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October. You can taste and purchase all category winners and other regional specialities there. The Cheese Festival also offers a variety of other attractions for the whole family. And if you’re lucky, you might even meet the cheesemakers behind the winning products and get a chance to ask specific questions.
