Affineur of the Year

What is “Affineur of the Year”?

judging cheese maturation - affineuring

“Affineur of the Year” is a unique opportunity for cheesemongers and cheesemakers to showcase, across the world, the skill and artistry involved in ageing a cheese to its full potential.

The competition, launched in 2022 by the Academy of Cheese and Quicke’s, started with ten affineurs taking a young Quicke’s Clothbound Cheddar and maturing it over the course of 12 months.

Now in its third year, Affineur of the Year has expanded the number of cheese categories to include different Make Post-Make varieties of cheese, to allow more competitors the opportunity to highlight and showcase a full range of affinage techniques, specific to those categories.

This year, as well as a Hard cheese category (Quicke’s Cheddar), entrants are being sought to age a Crumbly (Cropwell Bishop Stilton), a Soft (Baron Bigod) and a Washed Rind cheese (Whitelake Solstice).

As with previous years, the Finals event will be held in London, where competitors, judges and industry spokespeople will come together to reveal, assess and taste the cheeses. Winners for each category will be chosen and the overall Champion will be crowned Affineur of the Year 2024.

Guests are also invited to vote for their winner of the People’s Choice Award.

Affineur of the Year 2024 sponsors

Harvey and brockless
Peters yard

Click on our sponsor logos to read their story

matured cheeses ready for judging

How “Affineur of the Year” works

  • Competitors have a choice of 4 base cheeses to age.
  • Competitors then care for the cheese (s) at their facility for different times depending on the cheese category.
  • The cheese will be graded and documented.
  • At the end of the ageing period the cheeses will be judged by a select committee of industry experts at an event hosted by the Academy of Cheese and Quicke’s.
  • There will be winners for each category and an overall champion, who will be crowned ‘Affineur of the Year 2024’.
  • The final event, open to trade and public, will be held in London on 12th June 2024.

Affineur of the Year 2024 Dates

What happens, when?
  • Competition launch 19/06/2023
  • Quickes’s cheddar to be sent to entrants 20/07/2023
  • Cropwell Bishop Stilton to be sent to entrants 18/03/2024
  • Fen Farm Dairy Baron Bigod to be sent to entrants 15/04/2024
  • White Lake Solstice to be sent to entrants 29/04/2024
  • Judging and Finals Day 12/06/2024
tasting notes
cheese affineur

Which Cheeses are involved?

Click on the logos to read more about the cheesemakers and their competition cheeses.

Quicke's cheese
Cropwell Bishop Cheese

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Meet the Competitors

Click on the logos to read each competitor’s story

Fine Cheese co logo
Neals Yard Dairy
George-Joseph cheese trainers
Brindisa cheese

Meet the 2024 Judges: To Be Announced

An award is only worth something if the people giving it out know their stuff. We’ve gathered a bunch of cheese industry experts from a variety of different backgrounds to act as our judges. Let’s meet them.

Judging criteria

What will score points and how many are available?

Sensory characteristics.

Comments

The most important element of the judging, with the highest points rating.

Score available

Flavour including length and differential nose to rind
Flavours out of /10
Aroma out of /5
Body/texture, out of /5
Appearance/rind out of /5

Grading sheets / records

Comments

Detailed grading sheets / records are crucial to understanding how the result has been achieved.

Score available

out of /5

The condition and structural integrity of the cheese (blueing and damage, cheese mite).

Comments

The most critical part of maturing a whole cheddar, this is where competitors’ affinage skills will be put to the test.

Score available

out of /10

Innovation / interesting additions to the original.

Comments

This is a chance for competitors to express creativity and trial new ideas.

Score available

out of /10


Beginners guide to affinage

The Academy of Cheese has launched Affineur of the Year, but what does it mean to be an Affineur and why is it important?

Read our guide to affinage

beginners guide to affinage

Affineur of the Year 2023

Building upon the success of last year’s competition, the Academy of Cheese and Quicke’s wanted, this year, to extend it out to different Make Post-Make categories to include mould ripened and crumbly cheeses. This will allow the competitors to highlight and showcase a full range of affinage techniques, specific to those categories.

Read more about the 2023 Affineur of the Year event here: https://academyofcheese.org/affineur-of-the-year-2023-the-finals/

2023 Judging Information

2023 Judging Panel

Competitor Videos

We’re hosted a number of free webinars to meet and discuss the competition. Join us to find out more about this exciting competition.

Introducing the Big Four Cheeses – Affineur of the Year ’23

Affineur of the Year 2023 | Meet The Maker & Competitors Live

Affineur of the Year 2023 Winners

Affineur of the Year winner 2023

Rennet & Rind with Baron Bigod

Affineur of the Year ‘People’s Choice’ winner 2023

George & Joseph with Baron Bigod

Affineur of the Year Baron Bigod – soft cheese category 2023

Rennet & Rind

Affineur of the Year Cropwell Bishop Blue Stilton – blue cheese category 2023

No 2 Pound Street

Affineur of the Year Quicke’s Cheddar – hard cheese category 2023

The Courtyard Dairy


Affineur of the Year competition 2022

In 2022 the first Affineur of the Year competition took place. All the competitors received a 27kg Quicke’s mature truckle from the same vat and the competitors needed to take care of the cheese for 9 months. Most competitors chose to keep the cheese in their own maturing room and competitors were free to do what they wanted. Every 3 months the cheese was graded, documented and published on social media.

After 9 months the cheese was judged by a select committee of industry experts at an event hosted by Quicke’s & the Academy of Cheese. The event was open to the public, and the competitors had the opportunity to sell their competition cheese at the event.

Read more about Affineur of the Year 2022 event here

Meet the Competitors

Brindisa cheese
Buchanans Logo

Affineur of the Year results 2022

Affineur of the Year winner 2022

Perry James Wakeman of Rennet & Rind

Perry James Wakeman of Rennet & Rind has been crowned Affineur of the Year 2022 in our prestigious first event.

Neals yard dairy

Affineur of the Year 2nd Place winner 2022

Neals Yard Dairy Retail

The retail team at Neals Yard dairy took 2nd place in our Affineur of the Year 2022 competition

Cheese judging

Affineur of the Year 3rd Place winner 2022

Neals Yard Dairy Warehouse

3rd place in our Affineur of the Year 2022 competition was taken by the warehouse team at Neals Yard dairy

affineur winner

Affineur of the Year People’s Choice winner 2022

Rennet & Rind

Perry James Wakeman of Rennet & Rind also took the people choice award at Affineur of the Year 2022.