And it’s from the Netherlands
The 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin, crowned its first place winner: Beemster Royaal Grand Cru made by CONO Kaasmakers in Westbeemster, Netherlands. The aged cheese won by .23 points with a score of 98.68, entered in the open class Hard Cheeses category. Beemster describes the cheese’s profile as robust with a rich, nutty taste and some crystallization; it’s aged for 12 months.
Runners up included first runner up Appenzeller® Purple Label (scoring 98.45), an aged cheese made in Appenzell, Switzerland, by Lucas Meier of Käserei Kirchberg, and second runner up Alter Fritz (scoring 98.41), a semi-hard cheese made in Jonschwil, Switzerland, by Hardegger Käse AG. The latter earned gold at the Contest in 2020.
This year’s World Championship Cheese Contest drew 3,375 submissions from 25 countries and 34 U.S. states and territories. Entries consisted of cheese, butter, cultured products, and dry dairy ingredients. The following 20 cheeses were named finalists, in no particular order:
Class: Natural Rinded Cheddar
Cheese: Flagship Reserve
Maker: Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
Company: Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
Location: Seattle, Washington, United States of America
Class: Rinded Swiss Style
Cheese: Emmentaler AOP
Maker: Marcus Hengartner and Robin Straub, Village Dairy Rohremoos
Company: Gourmino AG
Location: Lömmenschwil, SG, Switzerland
Class: Gorgonzola
Cheese: Mycella 60+
Maker: Team St. Clemens
Company: Bornsholms Andelsmejeri, St. Clemens
Location: Klemensker, Bornholm, Denmark
Class: Brie
Cheese: Le Châtelain Brie
Maker: Fromagerie du Raival
Company: Lactalis American Group
Location: Raival, France
Class: Gouda, Young
Cheese: FriesGoud Young
Maker: A-ware Cheese Heerenveen
Company: Royal A-ware
Location: Heerenveen, Netherlands
Class: Gouda, Mature
Cheese: Rembrandt 26 Weeks
Maker: Team Lutjewinkel
Company: FrieslandCampina
Location: Lutjewinkel, Netherlands
Class: Gruyere
Cheese: Gourmino Le Gruyère AOP
Maker: Michael Spycher, Mountain Dairy Fritzenhaus
Company: Gourmino AG
Location: Bern, Switzerland
Class: Appenzeller, Young
Cheese: Mifroma Appenzeller Silver
Maker: Käserei Tschumper
Company: Mifroma USA
Location: Degersheim, Switzerland
Class: Appenzeller, Aged
Cheese: Appenzeller® Purple Label
Maker: Lucas Meier, Käserei Kirchberg
Company: SO Appenzeller Käse GmbH
Location: Appenzell, Switzerland
Class: Open Class: Alpine Cheeses
Cheese: Mifroma Alpenhorn
Maker: Urnäscher Milchspezialitäten
Company: Mifroma USA
Location: Urnäsch, Switzerland
Class: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Hard Cheeses, Aged
Cheese: Alter Fritz
Maker: Hardegger Käse AG
Company: Hardegger Käse AG
Location: Jonschwil, Switzerland
Class: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Hard Cheeses, Mature
Cheese: Suncatcher
Maker: Jasper Hill Creamery
Company: Cellars at Jasper Hill
Location: Greensboro, Vermont, United States of America
Class: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Hard Cheeses, Extra Aged
Cheese: Heumilch Traumkäse
Maker: Othmar Pichler and Team
Company: Obersteirische Molkerei eGen
Location: Knittelfeld, Austria
Class: Raclette
Cheese: Gmunder Milk Traukirchner Raclette
Maker: Team Gmunder Molkerei
Company: Gmundner Molkerei GmbH
Location: Gmunden, Austria
Class: Hard Cheeses (Open Class)
Cheese: Beemster Royaal Grand Cru
Maker: CONO Kaasmakers
Company: CONO Kaasmakers
Location: Westbeemster, Netherlands
Class: Reduced Fat Soft & Semi-soft Cheeses
Cheese: Beemsterlite Medium 30+
Maker: CONO Kaasmakers
Company: CONO Kaasmakers
Location: Westbeemster, Netherlands
Class: Semi-soft (Semi-hard) Goat’s Milk Cheeses
Cheese: Kaltbach Goat
Maker: Emmi Kaltbach
Company: Emmi Switzerland AG
Location: Kaltbach, Switzerland
Class: Hard Goat’s Milk Cheeses
Cheese: Midnight Moon
Maker: Cypress Grove
Company: Cypress Grove Cheese
Location: Netherlands
Class: Hard Sheep’s Milk Cheeses, Mature
Cheese: Ojos del Guadiana
Maker: Manchega Ojos del Guadiana
Company: Manchega Ojos del Guadiana
Location: Daimiel, Spain
Class: Hard Mixed Milk Cheeses
Cheese: Seleccion Tostado Mixed Milk Cheese Extra Aged
Maker: Queserías Entrepinares S.A.U.
Company: Queserías Entrepinares
Location: Valladolid, Spain
Alana Pedalino
Alana Pedalino serves as Managing Editor of culture. Her work has been featured in Bon Appétit, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and more. She loves to write, cook, and kayak. Find her bylines at alanapedalino.com.
