World Cup of Cheese Opening Round: Giant Killings, Penalty Drama and a Cheddar Collapse

The competition burst into life in Jermyn Street, where Truffle Brie set the tone with a commanding victory that announced itself as a serious title contender. It was an opening fixture worthy of a tournament curtain raiser, with the luxurious French favourite proving simply too strong on the day.

Perhaps the biggest upset of the opening round came in Canterbury, where Mayfield overcame the ever-popular Cornish Yarg. Yarg has long been one of Paxton & Whitfield's best-loved British cheeses, making this one of the tournament's genuine shocks. But with Mayfield produced in neighbouring Sussex, perhaps a little home advantage helped carry it through in front of the Canterbury faithful.

Elsewhere, it was a particularly successful week for Switzerland. Gruyère Premier Cru demonstrated exactly why it remains one of the world's great alpine cheeses, while fellow Swiss contender Schnebelhorn also secured safe passage into the Round of 16. The Swiss have quietly built an impressive reputation in the competition and now have two very capable representatives still chasing the trophy.

No sporting tournament would be complete without penalty shoot-out heartbreak, and the World Cup of Cheese delivered exactly that. Golden Cross and Comté Androuet could not be separated after in-store voting, forcing the first ever World Cup of Cheese penalty shoot-out. The tie moved to Instagram Stories for a one-hour public vote, where Golden Cross produced one of the biggest surprises of the competition, edging out the French classic to book its place in the next round.

Not every category has fared so well. The biggest casualties have undoubtedly been the cheddars. Despite entering the tournament with high expectations, every single cheddar has been eliminated at the first hurdle. It is a remarkable statistic given Britain's long-standing love affair with cheddar, but perhaps proof that, when customers are tasting side-by-side, they are prepared to back more adventurous styles.

If one family of cheeses has dominated proceedings, it is undoubtedly the blues. Rich, complex and full of character, blue cheeses have captured the imagination of voters across every shop, with four blue cheeses progressing to the Round of 16. Their continued success suggests this year's champion could well emerge from the blue corner.

That sets up two particularly mouth-watering fixtures in the next round. On 4th July in Canterbury, two blues go head-to-head as Barkham Blue faces Little Rollright in what promises to be one of the most technically fascinating matches of the tournament. Then, on 7th July in Bath, one of the competition's standout ties sees Cropwell Bishop Stilton take on Baron Bigod. Britain's most iconic blue meets one of its finest soft cheeses in a fixture that would not look out of place in the final itself.

With the field now reduced to just sixteen cheeses, every vote becomes more important. The margins are tighter, the quality higher and every match has the potential to produce another upset.

The Round of 16 is now underway across our shops. Visit your nearest Paxton & Whitfield, taste both contenders and cast your vote. The road to the World Cup of Cheese final continues, and if the opening round has shown us anything, it's to expect the unexpected.

Upcoming Fixtures

Round of 16 Fixtures

Tuesday 30 June
Jermyn Street
Truffle Brie vs Mayfield

Wednesday 1 July
Cale Street
Gruyère Premier Cru vs Yoredale

Thursday 2 July
Jermyn Street
Schnebelhorn vs Golden Cross

Friday 3 July
Cale Street
Fourme d'Ambert vs Baby Yorkshire Blue

Saturday 4 July
Canterbury
Barkham Blue vs Little Rollright

Sunday 5 July
Bath
St Cera vs Mothais sur Feuille

Monday 6 July
Jermyn Street
St Jude vs Old Groendal

Tuesday 7 July
Bath
Cropwell Bishop Stilton vs Baron Bigod