WCMA Opens Entries for 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest
Enter today to compete for the dairy processing industry’s most prestigious title – World Champion Cheese! Beginning November 1, cheese, butter, yogurt, and dry dairy ingredients can be entered in the 2024 World Championship Cheese contest at WorldChampionCheese.org.
Hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) since 1957, this 35th biennial competition is the largest technical dairy products evaluation in the world. In 2022, judges evaluated 2,978 entries, with Gourmino Le Gruyère, made by Michael Spycher of Mountain Dairy Fritzenhaus in Bern, Switzerland, earning an impressive score of 98.423 out of 100 to win the top spot.
“The world’s best dairy processors compete in the World Championship Cheese Contest to foster quality manufacture within their teams, gain valuable feedback from our expert judges, and market coveted gold, silver and bronze wins to their customers,” said John Umhoefer, WCMA Executive Director.
In 2024, the World Championship Cheese Contest will include 142 classes of dairy products. Entries will be evaluated by an elite team of world-renowned judges. Starting from a maximum possible 100 points, judges deduct for any defect found related to flavor, body and texture, salt, color, finish, and packaging. A gold, silver, and bronze medal will be awarded to the three highest-scoring entries in each class. Gold medal cheeses move to a Championship Round for a shot at the World Champion Cheese title.
New this year, WCMA is offering a best value rate of $75 per entry when you enter by December 1, 2023. After that date, all entries will cost $90 per product. Submissions can be entered online using the secure MyEntries© system on WorldChampionCheese.org. All entries must be submitted by January 26, 2024. Judging will occur March 5-7 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
All questions about the 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest may be directed to WCMA Contest Director Kirsten Strohmenger at kstrohmenger@wischeesemakers.org.