Originally scheduled to take place in Ukraine, The Guild of Fine Food has confirmed that the World Cheese Awards 2022 will now be held at the International Convention Center Wales (ICC Wales), in Newport, starting on Tuesday 1st and concluding on Wednesday 3rd November.

The event is open for entries on 25th July and closes on 20th September. Final results will be announced on 4th November.

John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food – organisers of the competition, said: “It is with enormous pride and excitement that we are taking the 2022 edition of the World Cheese Awards to the ICC in Wales, supported by the Welsh Government.

“It is with mixed emotions that we make this announcement, as everyone involved in the competition will know that we should have held the event this year in Kyiv, Ukraine. Obviously, that was not going to be possible, but we are working hard to ensure that the cheesemakers of that proud country are represented in November. This change of location is a postponement rather than a cancellation and we must thank the Welsh Government for its quick thinking and its support.”

He added: “To the World Cheese Awards community, we look forward to introducing you to the cheese culture, history and beauty of Wales and we’re excited to see you or your cheese in November.”

This year’s World Cheese Awards will be the 34th year of the largest ‘only-cheese’ event of its kind globally. Last year, the competition was held in Oviedo, Spain, and saw 4,079 cheeses enter from 45 different nations and six continents. A team of 250 judges, made up of technical experts, graders, buyers, retailers, and food writers, tasted and reviewed all the cheeses in one day. A ‘super’ jury of 16 judges then came together to judge the World Champion Cheese.

As well as Bronze, Silver, Gold and Super Gold prizes, there are country and cheese specific trophies.