Registration is now open for Ukrainian cheesemakers to participate in World Cheese Awards 2026, the world’s most prestigious international cheese competition, which will take place on 12–15 November 2026 in Córdoba, Spain.
The participation of Ukrainian producers is once again coordinated by the ProCheese team of Ardis Group, the official representative of the World Cheese Awards in Ukraine.
The World Cheese Awards is the world’s largest cheese competition, held since 1988 and bringing together thousands of cheesemakers and hundreds of international experts every year. In 2025, over 5,000 cheeses from around the world were entered into the competition and judged by leading experts in the cheese industry.
Despite the ongoing full-scale war, Ukrainian producers will represent their cheeses on the international stage for the fifth consecutive year. Over the past four years, 90 Ukrainian cheeses have competed in the World Cheese Awards, with 39 receiving awards, demonstrating the high quality and growing recognition of Ukrainian cheesemaking. Since 2022, the participation of Ukrainian cheeses in the competition has been supported by Switzerland through the Swiss-Ukrainian Quality FOOD Trade Programme (QFTP).
Both artisan and industrial cheesemakers are invited to apply. Participation offers producers an opportunity to receive an independent international assessment of their products, strengthen their brand reputation, and showcase Ukrainian cheese to the global professional community.
“This year marks the fifth anniversary of Ukrainian cheeses participating in the competition, and every single year has brought awards. This is our shared achievement, reflecting both the growing consumer demand for cheese and the steady progress of the Ukrainian cheesemaking sector,” says Oksana Chernova, cheese expert and World Cheese Awards judge.
Participants will receive comprehensive support from the ProCheese team, including assistance with preparing the required documentation, registration on the official World Cheese Awards platform, centralized logistics for transporting cheeses to the competition venue, as well as communications and PR support before and after the event.
The key benefits of participation include:
- independent evaluation of the cheese by an international jury;
- the right to use World Cheese Awards accolades in product promotion;
- enhanced credibility among consumers, retailers, and industry professionals;
- promotion of Ukrainian cheesemakers through the official World Cheese Awards 2026 information campaign;
- an opportunity to showcase Ukrainian cheese on the global stage and attract the attention of international buyers and partners.
“Four years of supporting Ukrainian producers’ participation in the World Cheese Awards demonstrate that international competitions are an effective tool for the sector’s development. They encourage cheesemakers to improve their products, introduce innovations and align with global best practices. At the same time, international recognition helps to increase interest in Ukrainian cheeses among professional buyers in the HoReCa and foodservice sectors, opening up new opportunities for producers to develop their commercial potential,” notes Iryna Vysotska, Deputy Local Manager, Dairy Sector Component Coordinator of the Swiss-Ukrainian QFTP Programme.
To take part, applications must be submitted by 31 August 2026. Detailed terms and conditions, a list of required documents and the application form are available on the ProCheese website at: https://procheese.ua/events/world-sheese-awards-26/
The participation of Ukrainian cheeses in the World Cheese Awards 2026 is supported by Switzerland within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP), implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland). The official representative and organiser of Ukraine’s participation in the World Cheese Awards is the ARDIS group.