GUGGISBERG WINS FIRST-PLACE AWARDS AT 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CHEESE CONTEST

MADISON, WI — On Wednesday, March 5, 2024, the judging for the 35th biennial World Championship Cheese Contest took place in Madison, Wisconsin, where Guggisberg Cheese’s Ziller was named one of the top 20 cheeses in the world. Guggisberg Ziller was awarded the top two spots in the Baby Swiss category, taking first with a score of 99.4, as well as second place with a score of 98.25.Guggisberg Smoked Swiss also received first place in the Open Smoked Hard Cheeses category with a score of 99.45, and was in the final round of top-100 cheeses.

Guggisberg is honored to have not only placed first in two categories, but to have been named as a top-20 cheese out of over 3,300 entries from all over the world. Guggisberg attributes this honor to the craftsmanship and dedication to quality of Guggisberg’s employees, as well as the Grade-A milk supplied by their local farmers.

The World Championship Cheese Contest is the world’s largest technical cheese, butter, and yogurt competition, and is hosted by the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association. The contest takes place every-other year, alternating annually with the United States Cheese Championship. Entries are divided into classes and then judged on a scale ranging from one to one hundred by some of the field’s finest professors. The top three scores in each category are recognized for their excellence, with the top spot receiving the title of World Champion.

This year’s judging panel consisted of international industry experts from all over the world, whose professions include cheese graders, cheese buyers, dairy science professors, and researchers. The judges evaluated 3,302 dairy product submissions from 25 countries.