Forget tulips, bikes and canals – the Dutch cheese just stole the spotlight. Beemster Royaal Grand Cru was crowned as the world’s best cheese at the World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin, earlier this month.
World champion cheese
The World Championship Cheese Contest is the Olympics of dairy and has been hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association since 1957. This year, the Dutch farmers savoured a well-deserved victory competing against thousands of global entries. The award-winning cheese from the historic Beemster polders is produced by CONO Kaasmakers and scored a whopping 98.68 out of 100. One bite and the rich, nutty cheese practically melts in your mouth, proving that the Dutch lunch is a bite of heaven!
The Secret? Happy Cows
The magic comes from the North Holland Polders, where cows graze on lush pastures, and their milk transforms into rich, nutty, and firm cheese with ripening crystals that develop during maturation. The CONO Kaasmakers make this transformation happen with care, time and attention. The end result? A cheese so good, you automatically reach out for another slice!
The verdict
If you have felt that Dutch supermarkets feel like a cheese cathedral, wondered why cheese is treated as the ultimate gift in the Netherlands, and suddenly noticed everyone treating Gouda like it’s a competitive sport, it’s because it’s officially world-class cheese!
Finally, you can genuinely say that you live in the country with the world’s best cheese!
NEWS BRAINPORT
(World Championship Cheese Contest, 2026)
(Beemster® Royaal Grand Cru named best cheese in the world, n.d.)
