02-11-2008, 06:37 PM
![[Image: cheesewin.jpg]](http://www.food-e-matters.com/images/cheesewin.jpg)
RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin 29th September 2008
For the first time in its 20 year history, the World Cheese Awards will take place outside the UK. The 2008 Awards will confirm the truly global status of the world’s largest international cheese competition when it takes place in Ireland this September.
Over 2,000 cheeses from the UK, Europe, the USA, South Africa and Australasia will be consolidated in the UK and freighted directly into Dublin for judging at the RDS Simmonscourt on 29th September. Staged in its own dedicated hall alongside Ireland’s largest retail food and drink trade show, SHOP, the 2008 World Cheese Awards will command massive international attention.
Over 80 international experts will be flown into Dublin to join the cream of the Irish cheese trade for judging. The morning’s judging to identify Gold, Silver and Bronze winning cheeses will be followed by the now traditional judges’ lunch. During the afternoon, the Supreme Jury will be filmed for television both in Ireland and the UK as it tastes each gold award winning cheese a second and a third time to identify the national champions and finally, the World Champion Cheese 2008.
For the next two days, all competition cheeses will be on display for trade visitors and the media to view and taste. The Awards presentation will take place in the centre of the Awards area on 1st October.
The global status of the World Cheese Awards is such that it is the competition cheese makers most want to win. Bob Farrand, the Awards’ chairman and National Director of the Guild of Fine Food comments: ‘Standards are incredibly high. Europe may well have held a monopoly on great cheese a decade or so ago but over the past few years, entries from the USA and South Africa in particular have consistently taken top awards.’
Farrand continues: ‘We’re delighted that Dublin is our first overseas venue. The Awards have become the cheese Olympics, so it is right they should be staged in different countries.’
The Guild of Fine Food is also planning a Great Taste Gourmet Food Hall within SHOP and 50 British speciality producers are expected to exhibit.