Gruyère named best cheese in the world (again)

The winning Gruyère was described by the judges as a “really perfect handcrafted cheese” © Keystone / Michael Buholzer

A Gruyère from Vorderfultigen in Bern has been named the 2022 World Champion Cheese, beating a Gorgonzola from Italy.

It is the fourth time that Le Gruyère AOPExternal link, a hard cheese made from unpasteurised milk named after the town of GruyèresExternal link in Fribourg, has triumphed at the World Cheese AwardsExternal link, organised by the Guild of Fine Food.

A “surchoix” version of the cheese made by the Vorderfuldigen village cheeseryExternal link and matured by GourminoExternal link was crowned the winner in a tense finale to the 2022-2023 event, held in Newport in Wales.

Billed by the judges as a “really perfect handcrafted cheese”, the winner was run closely in the final round of tasting by Gorgonzola Dolce DOP by De’ Magi Formaggi.

The day-long judging process began with a record 4,434 cheeses from 42 countries, whittled down by 250 expert judges representing 38 nations. A 16-strong Super Jury from 15 countries then picked a champion in a final round of tasting and scoring in front of a live audience.

Swiss judge Christian Zürcher championed the cheese for being “smooth in your mouth and melting on your tongue. You have a lot of flavour in it, from herbs to fruity, roasted, with a real leather note”.

“It’s well balanced and long lasting. It’s really something I enjoy,” he said.

Ukrainian entry

As always, the awards were an international affair, with a host of regions and nations represented, including India, the Canary Islands, the US, Australia and Japan.

There were also a number of submissions from Ukraine, which was originally meant to host the awards this year. The Guild of Fine Food waived all entry fees for cheesemakers from the country and gave them the opportunity to showcase their cheeses throughout the day.

Representing the nation as a judge, the owner of Ukrainian retail chain Cheese Kingdom Denis Priimagi expressed gratitude for the opportunity and said it was an “honour and pleasure” to attend the event, thanking the team and fellow producers for their support.