The World Cheese Awards will open for entry on Aug. 23. According to the organizers — the Guild of Fine Food — an international panel of 230 experts from 30 different countries will judge the entries. Dedicated only to cheese, the 33rd World Cheese Awards will take place in Oviedo, Spain, on Nov. 3 as part of the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival 2021, run by the Instituto del Queso, in partnership with the Principality of Asturias and the City Council of Oviedo.

Following a turbulent time for cheesemakers over the past 18 months, the Guild of Fine Food said it is anticipating a greater number of entries than ever before, so it is encouraging producers to submit their cheeses early before the entry cap is reached. With up to 4,000 cheeses from six continents expected to line up in Oviedo, this is set to be the largest cheese-only competition the world has ever seen.

Providing a global platform for cheesemaking excellence, from multi award-winners to tiny artisans, the World Cheese Awards will give Bronze, Silver, Gold and Super Gold awards. The International Super Jury will then debate the best of the best live on WCA TV, before crowning this year’s World Champion Cheese, said the Guild of Fine Food.

“The World Cheese Awards’ return to Spain will be a huge moment for the international cheese community, not only giving us the opportunity to reunite, but also to celebrate the resilience of an industry that’s had to dig deep to weather the global pandemic,” said John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food. “Innovation has flourished in adversity, so we’re expecting an exciting array of new cheeses to be entered this year, but it will also give us great pleasure to witness the return of more established cheeses from around the world, having survived trials and tribulations of COVID-19.

“With entries from around 40 different countries, this will be a truly international contest, but we’re expecting a strong showing from the hosts too — with 300 cheeses produced in Asturias, I’m confident a fair few accolades will be heading their way,” he added.

Cheese producers may enter online at www.gff.co.uk/wca.