The 14th SWISS CHEESE AWARDS take place from 6 to 11 October 2026 in Fribourg.
In the qualifying round on 6 October, around 1000 different cheeses – divided into 33 categories – will be presented to a 200-strong international jury in the Salle St. Leonard. They judge the cheeses on the basis of predefined criteria and select a winner for each category.
Then, on Thursday, 8 October, the grand finale takes place: all category winners are judged again by a ‘Super Jury’. The Super Jury selects a Swiss Champion in the three categories Extra-Hard/Hard Cheese, Semi-Hard Cheese and Soft/Fresh Cheese.
On Friday, 9 October, the cheeseboard competition will be held at L’Atelier. The participants will create their most beautiful cheeseboard on site and present it to the jury, who then select a winner. The competition is open to the public.
The Swiss Cheese Awards 2026 presentation ceremony takes place on Friday evening as part of the Awards Night. All 33 category winners and the three Swiss Champions will be announced and honoured there. The winner of the cheeseboard competition will be announced too, of course.
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
15
The Swiss Champions 2024
|
Swiss Champion extra hard & hard cheese |
Le Gruyère AOP |
Markus Sturny, Käserei Lanthen |
|
Swiss Champion semi-hard cheese |
Le Brigand du Jorat |
Muhamet Lekiqi & Renaud Freymond, Fromagerie de Saint-Cierges SA |
|
Swiss Champion soft & fresh cheese |
Vacherin Mont d’Or AOP |
Serge André, Fromagerie André SA, Romanel-sur-Morges |
Winners of the cheese board competition
|
1st rank |
Vauthey Manon, Cugy |
|
2nd rank |
Sercomanens Alicia, Vucherens |
|
3rd rank |
Wenger Franziska, Cortébert |
The category winners
|
Emmentaler AOP |
Albert & Silvio Schöpfer, Käse vom Schöpfer AG |
|
Le Gruyère AOP |
Markus Sturny, Käserei Lanthen |
|
Le Gruyère d'Alpage AOP |
Hans & Stefan König, Alpage La Vathia |
|
Sbrinz AOP |
Pirmin Dörig, Käserei Bürg GmbH |
|
Appenzeller |
Urs Buchegger, Emmi Schweiz AG |
|
Raw milk Tilsiter |
Joel Schirmer, Bio Käserei Maseltrangen AG |
|
Bündner Bergkäse |
Andreas Grob, Cascharia Breil/Brigels GmbH |
|
Raclette du Valais AOP |
Frédéric Stalder, La Ferme à Gaby |
|
Raclette & Bratkäse (without flavouring additives) |
Grégory Maisonneuve, Fromagerie Maisonneuve SA |
|
Raclette cheese with flavouring additives |
Dominik Schmidt, Milchmanufaktur Einsiedeln AG |
|
Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP |
Christophe Lauper, Fromagerie de Grangettes |
|
Vacherin Mont d'Or AOP |
Serge André, Fromagerie André SA |
|
Tête de Moine AOP |
Menno Amstutz, Fromagerie Amstutz SA |
|
Bloderkäse and Sauerkäse AOP |
Rolf Habegger, H. & R. Habegger AG |
|
L'Etivaz AOP |
Sébastien Nicolier, Alpage Cray-du-Milieu |
|
Berner Alp- and Hobelkäse AOP |
Werner Bühler-Blum, Oberstockenalp |
|
Formaggio d'Alpe ticinese DOP |
Danilo Peter, Alpe di Fortunei |
|
Glarner Alpkäse AOP |
Martin Heiz, Alp Deyen |
|
Other semi-hard cheeses with a wheel size of at least 3 kg (without flavouring additives) |
Renaud Freymond, Fromagerie de Saint-Cierges SA |
|
Other semi-hard cheeses with a wheel size of less than 3 kg (without flavouring additives) |
Christa Egli, Chäsi Girenbad |
|
Semi-hard cheese with a wheel size of at least 3 kg with flavouring additives |
Louis Bérard, Laiterie-Fromagerie Chavannes-les-Forts |
|
Semi-hard cheese with a wheel size of less than 3 kg with flavouring additives |
Reto Güntensperger, Güntensperger Käse AG |
|
Other hard and extra hard cheeses |
Marc-André Girardin, Fromagerie de la Suze SA |
|
Soft cheese white mould |
Fromages Spielhofer SA |
|
Soft cheese lubricated |
Nicolas Schmoutz, Fromagerie Régionale de Mézières |
|
Cream cheese |
Mathias Koch, Appenzeller Ziegenprodukte AG |
|
Blue cheese |
George Hofstetter, BIO Genuss Käserei Hofstetter GmbH |
|
Extra hard, hard and semi-hard sheep's cheese |
Beat Meier, Käserei Berglinde |
|
Sheep's cheese Soft and fresh cheese |
Daniela & Peter Schneider, Käserei Bettswil |
|
Extra-hard, hard and semi-hard goat's cheese |
Koni Schuppli, Schupplis Geisse Chäsi |
|
Goat's cheese Soft and fresh cheese |
Agnès Spielhofer Beroud, O'Lait Sàrl |
|
Cheese innovations |
Patrick Odermatt, Odermatt Käserei AG |
