Salva Mubarak Senior Features Writer

Cheese enthusiasts, if you’re keeping track then make note that a new ‘Best Cheese in the World’ has been crowned.

The top prize at the World Cheese Awards, a real, totally not made-up thing, has been snatched by a Swiss Gruyère.

Organised by the Guild of Fine Food, the World Cheese Awards invited 250 judges to Wales to answer the question we never knew we needed an answer to: which is the best cheese in the world?

The judging panel, which comprised of cheesemakers and mongers, chefs, writers, and more, tasted over 4,000 entries (4,434 to be precise), and ultimately concluded that Le Gruyère AOP surchoix is the World’s Best Cheese. The entries were scored on the basis of their appearance (particularly the rind and the paste), aroma, body, texture, and mouthfeel.

Le Gruyère AOP, entered by Swiss cheesemaker Vorderfultigen and refiner Gourmino, was pronounced to be a “really refined, hand-crafted cheese”. According to its makers, it’s a matured Gruyère made from raw cow’s milk from Switzerland. The judges noted that it melted in the mouth with just the right notes of herbs, fruits, and leather.

Dennis Kaser, the international marketing manager of Le Gruyère AOP, credited the cheese’ win to team effort.

“This is a result that shows the quality behind all these people working together; 1900 milk producers, 155 cheesemakers, and 11 refiners. This collaborative work results in such a high-quality cheese style, which is loved by the consumer,” he said, “I’m so very proud to be representing Le Gruyère. Huge congratulations to cheesemaker Vorderfultigen and affineur Gourmino.”

Le Gruyère AOP has replaced last year’s winner, a Spanish soft goat’s cheese.