Bergen, Norway—Beemster Cheese is thrilled to announce Beemster Classic was awarded Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards on November 2. Beemster Classic, aged for 18 months, is considered the quintessential Dutch cheese throughout Holland. The designation puts it in the company of only 78 cheeses considered the very best in the world.
Beemster’s cheeses won multiple distinctions at the 2018 World Cheese Awards. A record-breaking 3,500 cheeses from six continents entered the competition, which took place at Bergen’s Grieghallen in Norway on November 2, 2018. The entries were evaluated by a panel of 230 expert judges from 29 countries.
Paradiso Reserve (called Beemster 30+ Oud in European markets) received a Gold Award. The rich, sweet Italian-style cheese is made from fresh North Holland cow's milk that graze freely on the grasses of the Beemster Polder.
Beemster Goat, crafted from the milk of goats raised by Beemster member farmers, also scored Gold.
Royaal Grand Cru by Beemster, a full-bodied, robust cheese studded with crystals and aged for 12 months, won Silver.
A Bronze Award went to Beemster XO, a firm, crumbly wheel renowned for its rich flavors of butterscotch and whiskey. Beemster XO is aged for more than two years.
“Along with the World Cheese Championships in Wisconsin, the World Cheese Awards are the most important cheese competition in the world,” says Marcel Vantuyn, Beemster’s Managing Director. “The awards are an endorsement of the hard work we do every day. It starts with how the farmers tend to their fields and their dairy cows, then continues to the unique process that our cheesemakers use to make our cheese. From beginning to end, we do everything in-house to make sure our cheese is perfect. It’s very nice to be recognized for our vertical integration, dedication, and commitment.”
Judges worked in teams of three or four, identifying cheeses worthy of a gold, silver or bronze award. They evaluated the rind and paste of the cheeses as well as their color, texture, consistency, and most importantly, flavor. A truly global cheese event, the World Cheese Awards has been bringing together cheesemakers, retailers, buyers, cheese-lovers and food journalists worldwide for over three decades. The 2018 edition of the World Cheese Awards was part of a brand-new festival, Matnasjonen Norge, in partnership with HANEN, an organization promoting the best that the Norwegian countryside has to offer.
