From 6 to 11 October 2026, Fribourg will host the 14th edition of the Swiss Cheese Awards – the must-attend event for the Swiss cheese industry.
Home to two flagship cheeses, Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP and Gruyère AOP, Fribourg is the perfect place to celebrate the excellence and diversity of Swiss cheese.
The traditional cheese market will take place in the Bourg district on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October. Visitors will be able to taste and purchase cheeses from the 33 winners of the different categories, as well as other regional specialities. Entertainment and activities for families will round off the programme.
As part of the preliminary competition, around 1,000 different cheeses, divided into 33 categories, will be presented to an international jury of approximately 200 people on 6 October at the Salle communale Saint-Léonard. The jury will assess the cheeses according to predefined criteria and select a winner in each category.
The decisive day will be Thursday 8 October, when all category winners will be assessed once again by a super jury. The super jury will select a Swiss Champion in each of the following categories: “extra-hard/hard cheese”, “semi-hard cheese” and “soft/fresh cheese”.
On Friday 9 October, the focus will first turn to the cheese platter competition at L’Atelier. Participants will create their most attractive cheese platter on site before presenting it to the jury, which will then select the winning platter. The competition is open to the public.
The Swiss Cheese Awards 2026 prize-giving ceremony will take place on Friday evening as part of the Awards Night. The 33 category winners and the three Swiss Champions will be announced and honoured. The winner of the cheese platter competition will also be revealed during the evening.
