Old Groendal Crowned Winner of the 2026 World Cup of Cheese

Old Groendal Crowned Winner of the 2026 World Cup of Cheese

After 32 cheeses, 31 matches and weeks of tasting and voting, the 2026 Paxton & Whitfield World Cup of Cheese has a champion.

Old Groendal has been crowned the winner, securing 54% of the vote in the Grand Final against Gruyère Premier Cru.

Over the past few weeks, customers have tasted and voted their way through a knockout tournament featuring 32 exceptional artisan cheeses from Britain and Europe. Every round brought passionate debate, surprise results and outstanding cheeses, before Old Groendal claimed the trophy.

Produced by the Van den Heuvel family in Belgium, Old Groendal is matured for around 18 months, allowing it to develop its distinctive crystalline texture and rich, complex flavour. Notes of caramel, toasted nuts and browned butter are balanced by a satisfying savoury finish, making it a favourite amongst our cheesemongers and customers alike.

A Celebration of Artisan Cheesemaking

While there could only be one winner, this year's World Cup of Cheese celebrated the remarkable diversity of artisan cheesemaking. From fresh goat's cheeses and traditional clothbound Cheddars to Alpine classics, washed rind cheeses and exceptional blues, the tournament showcased an extraordinary range of styles, milk types and cheesemaking traditions.

We would like to thank every cheesemaker whose cheese took part in this year's competition, and everyone who visited our shops, ordered one of our tasting boxes or cast a vote throughout the tournament. Your enthusiasm, friendly debate and love of great cheese made this one of our favourite events of the year.

Explore the World Cup of Cheese

Whether you followed every round or are discovering the tournament for the first time, you can still experience the World Cup of Cheese.

Explore all 32 cheeses from the Paxton & Whitfield World Cup of Cheese. Whether you followed every round or are discovering the tournament for the first time, you'll find every contender here, from the opening matches to this year's champion, Old Groendal. Use code WORLDCUP10 for 10% off the 32 until Friday 24th July 2026.