MADISON — Southern Wisconsin cheesemakers are set to compete for the coveted title of World Champion at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest, set for March 3-5 at the Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center in Madison. Their products are among 3,375 entries across 150 classes of dairy products.
“These businesses aren’t just vying for the prestigious title of World Champion. They’re gaining invaluable technical feedback from some of the most respected experts in the world — feedback that makes a better product for their customers. We wish them, and all our competitors, the best in this year’s competition!” said Kirsten Strohmenger, Contest Director for the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), proud host of the event.
Preliminary rounds of judging are open for public observation on Tuesday, March 3 and Wednesday, March 4 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Attendance is free, and samples will be available. The exciting announcement of the 2026 World Champion will be livestreamed on Thursday, March 5 at 2 p.m. at WorldChampionCheese.org and Facebook.com/WorldChampionshipCheese
Contest.
Hosted biennially by WCMA since 1957, this competition is the largest technical dairy products evaluation in the world. For more information, visit WorldChampionCheese.org.
The following businesses are set to compete among dairy processors from 25 countries and 34 U.S. states and territories:
● Arena Cheese of Arena, Wisconsin
● Associated Milk Producers Inc. of Portage, Wisconsin
● Brunkow Cheese of Darlington, Wisconsin
● Carr Valley Cheese Company of La Valle, Linden, and Mauston, Wisconsin
● Cedar Grove Cheese of Plain, Wisconsin
● Chalet Cheese Cooperative of Monroe, Wisconsin
● Cheese Louise of Monroe, Wisconsin
● Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese of Waterloo, Wisconsin
● Dairyfood USA of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
● Decatur Dairy of Brodhead, Wisconsin
● Emmi Roth of Monroe, Platteville, and Stoughton, Wisconsin
● Foremost Farms USA of Lancaster and Reedsburg, Wisconsin
● Hoard’s Dairyman Farm Creamery of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
● Hook’s Cheese Company of Mineral Point, Wisconsin
● Kingston Cheese Cooperative of Cambria, Wisconsin
● Klondike Cheese Co. of Monroe, Wisconsin
● Kraft Heinz Company of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
● Lactalis USA of Belmont, Wisconsin
● Landmark Creamery of Belleville, Wisconsin
● Maple Leaf Cheesemakers of Monroe, Wisconsin
● Meister Cheese Company of Muscoda, Wisconsin
● Milkhaus Dairy of Fennimore, Wisconsin
● Prairie Farms of Shullsburg, Wisconsin
● Roelli Cheese Company of Shullsburg, Wisconsin
● Royal Guernsey Creamery of Columbus, Wisconsin
● Sabrosura Foods of Monroe and Monticello, Wisconsin
● Saputo Cheese USA of Reedsburg, Wisconsin
● Scott’s of Wisconsin of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
● Sigma Foods — Mexican Cheese Producers of Darlington, Wisconsin
● Specialty Cheese Company of Reeseville, Wisconsin
● Uplands Cheese of Dodgeville, Wisconsin
● V&V Supremo Foods, Inc. of Arena and Browntown, Wisconsin
● W&W Dairy of Monroe, Wisconsin
● Weyauwega Cheese of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin