Yes, cheese is so good that it has its own world awards. And a South African female cheesemaker from the Cape Winelands scooped one of the top prizes!
Bern, Switzerland (27 November 2025) – The World Cheese Awards (WCA) took place in Switzerland for the first time ever this month. Fifty countries participated with over 5,000 of their best cheeses, hoping for a top trophy or gold badge.
The awards, which have been going for 37 years now, awards medals for the world’s best cheeses and trophies for various special categories such as Best Artisan Cheese, Best Raw Milk Cheese and Best Female Cheesemaker – the latter being the title that SA’s own Nellie Fischer won this year.
Nellie has been a cheesemaker at Dalewood Fromage Boland for over two decades.
“We could not be more proud to announce that our very own Nellie Fischer has been named Best Female Cheese Maker at the 37th World Cheese Awards in Bern, Switzerland. This award is an incredible recognition of her talent, dedication, and 25 years of cheesemaking at Dalewood.” shares the Dalewood team.
“Every cheese she creates carries her passion, skill, and unwavering care, a true reflection of her decades of dedication to the craft. We are endlessly proud to celebrate her talent and the love she pours into what she does.” they added.
Dalewood scooped three gold awards (two Super Gold, one Gold) for their award-winning cheese. Other SA brands also brought home multiple medals for world-class cheese including Klein River, Fairview, Lancewood, and Lactalis.
Adding to the wins, SA earned another trophy adding to Nellie’s. Klein River’s Parmesan (24 months) scooped the prize for Best South African Cheese.
How are the world’s best cheeses determined? With a lot of tasting!
Over 5000 cheeses submitted are tasted blind by an international jury of around 250 people. The jury is made up of leading cheese experts (chefs, buyers, salespeople, journalists, creators, etc.) who work in teams to access the rind and paste as well as the aroma, texture, taste and mouthfeel of the cheese.
The jury works in teams of two or three, and decide for each product whether it is worthy of an award (Bronze, Silver, Gold or even Super Gold). Super Gold candidates are then handed over to a ‘Super Jury’ of 14 internationally recognised and respected expert judges who select winners for the highest medal.
Every year, the ultimate ‘cheese of all cheeses’ is also crowned, earning the prestigious title as World Champion. This year, a classic Le Gruyère AOP from Switzerland took first place as the best cheese on the planet. It’s the sixth time in WCA history that a Le Gruyère AOP has won the top honour!
Sources: Linked above
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.
Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes and hear their incredible stories:
Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.
by 