An 18-month-old Swiss Gruyère from Bergkaserei Vorderfultigen beat 5,244 cheeses from 46 countries to claim the 2025 World Cheese Champion crown.
BERN: A Swiss Gruyère cheese has been crowned the 2025 World Cheese Champion after defeating more than 5,000 competitors from 46 countries.
The winning 18-month-old Vorderfultigen Spezial was produced by Bergkaserei Vorderfultigen at the World Cheese Awards held in the Swiss capital.
This mountain dairy cheese originates from the Gantrisch pre-Alps region just south of Bern.
Grand final judge Perry Wakeman described it as the type of cheese that would make people get excited about cheese.
“It’s a big old cheese — there’s a lot going on. The texture is beautiful: it’s flinty as you break it apart; the crystalline in there are so delicate,” he said.
Wakeman emphasised that the cheese makes a massive impact.
This marks the first time the competition has been staged in cheese-loving Switzerland since its 1988 creation by the British-based Guild of Fine Food.
Gruyère cheeses have previously won the top prize five times.
An international jury of 265 experts from over 40 countries evaluated 5,244 cheeses displayed on white-draped tables.
Polish cheesemaker Kuba Maziarczyk explained they first assess the cheese’s visual appearance from inside and outside.
The second evaluation step involves examining the cheese’s aromas through its nose.
Finally, judges determine the winner based on flavour.
Judges made initial selections before a super jury from 14 countries conducted final evaluations.
French judge Laurent Dubois said cheese must reflect its terroir and achieve balance in taste, aroma and flavour.
He noted that good cheeses often come from long traditions rather than being too aged or too young.
Approximately 2,000 spectators watched the competition inside Bern’s Festhalle exposition hall.
British judge Nigel Barden highlighted the excitement of discovering cheeses that revitalise tired palates.
Guild of Fine Food managing director John Farrand said the awards were founded to promote small cheesemakers.
He explained that 1980s dairy consolidation had obscured connections between land, milk, animals and final cheese products.
The awards aim to remind the world that small can be beautiful in cheesemaking.
Next year’s World Cheese Awards will take place in Cordoba, Spain. – AFP
