Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP)supports the development of the dairy sector, in particular the growth of the trade potential of small and medium-sized cheese producers, which form the basis for shaping Ukraine’s unique gastronomic identity.
For the second year running, with Switzerland’s support, 13 artisan cheesemakers are showcasing their products at the Kyiv Food and Wine Festival. Last year, as part of the festival’s support programme, the Association of Cheese Producers of Ukraine received refrigerated display cabinets for storing producers’ products. These were made available for free use during this year’s festival.
A highlight of the festival was the artisan cheese competition, which showcased the high level of skill and creativity of Ukrainian cheesemakers.
The winner in the “Best Goat’s Cheese” category was the “Smakolyky vid Ksyuni” cheesery with its “Young Cheese with Nettles”, whilst the jury named “Sira sova” from “Syrovarnia za viknom” as the best white mould cheese. In the “Best Matured Cheese” category, “Podilskyi” from the “Moncher” cheesery took first place, whilst “Amette Cheese” from the “Filvarok” cheesery was named the best fresh cheese. Among blue-mould cheeses, “Gorgonzola” from the “De Gusto”cheesery took first place, whilst the title of “Cheese with Character” went to “Raclette” from the “Yasna” cheesery.
The Grand Prix in the “Cheese That Changed Me” category was won by the “Kyrylenko Family Cheese Atelier” for its “Beetroot Balls” product. Festival visitors also chose their favourites: first place in the “Guests’ Choice” category went to “Borscht” cheese from the “Pivdennyi Kraft” cheesery, second place in the “Festival Discovery” category went to “Caprino” cheese from the “Syrna Hora” cheesery, and third place in the “Love at First Bite” category went to “Pechersky” cheese from the “Syroman” cheesery.
Iryna Vysotska, Deputy Local Manager of QFTP, Dairy Sector Component Coordinator, emphasised that supporting the participation of small-scale cheesemakers in such events is of great importance for promoting Ukrainian artisan cheeses among consumers and developing the trade capacities of Ukraine’s dairy sector.
“For artisan cheese makers, taking part in the festival is an opportunity to pursue several important objectives at once: to present their products to thousands of visitors, to raise brand awareness, to gain professional recognition through participation in the cheese competition, and to find new sales channels. Thanks to Switzerland’s support, producers were able to take advantage of these opportunities at no extra cost, focusing on what matters most – engaging with consumers – which creates further opportunities for sales growth and expanding their customer base,” she emphasised.
The festival participants were:
- Syrovarnia za viknom (Dnipropetrovsk region)
- Alkozara Cheesery (Kyiv region)
- De Gusto Cheesery (Kyiv region)
- Doobra Ferma (Kyiv region)
- Smakolyky vid Ksyuni Cheesery (Kyiv region)
- Kyrylenko Family Cheese Atelier (Kyiv region)
- Yasna Farmstead (Kyiv region)
- Syrna Hora Cheesery (Zaporizhzhia region)
- Monsher Cheesery (Khmelnytskyi region)
- Filvarok Cheesery (Zhytomyr region)
- Pivdennyi Kraft Cheesery (Kherson region — relocated to Ternopil region)
- Syroman Cheesery (Kyiv region)
- Yakym Cheesery (Kyiv region)
Photos courtesy of the Association of Cheese Producers of Ukraine.
