At this year’s prestigious Gouda Cheese Awards, held Thursday 15 May in the heart of South Holland’s cheese capital, Klaverkaas Jong from Klaverkaas was named Best Young Gouda Cheese. In the category for aged cheeses (Gouda 48+), the top honor went to Vergeer Oud from Vergeer.

A record number of entries made this year’s competition more exciting than ever, with 36 cheeses competing in the ‘young’ category and 31 in the ‘aged 48+’ category. During a popular public tasting event, visitors sampled the finalists and selected their top three in each category. On Thursday, a panel of expert judges ranked the winners.

In the Young Gouda category:

• Silver went to Stompetoren Jong by Kaashandel Remijn
• Bronze was awarded to Vergeer Jong by Vergeer Holland

In the Aged Gouda 48+ category:

• Silver was claimed by Lutjewinkel 1916 Robuust & Romig by Velder
• Bronze went to Hoeve Goud by De Zuivelhoeve

The results reflect both tradition and innovation in Dutch cheesemaking, with well-known names and new favorites making their mark. The Gouda Cheese Awards continue to shine a spotlight on the craftsmanship behind the world’s favorite cheese.