SP will be the cheese capital of Brazil in April

From April 11 to 14, São Paulo will host the third edition of the Brazilian Cheese World Cup. The event is promoted by SerTãoBras, an association of artisan cheese producers created 16 years ago, with more than 250 members, most of them family farmers in 17 Brazilian states. The event is in partnership with the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, one of the largest cheesemakers' associations in the world, present in more than 40 countries. 

The event takes place every two years and in 2024 it will once again be held at the B32 Theater, Praça da Baleia, in Faria Lima, one of the country's main economic centers. A wide-ranging program for professionals and end consumers is being prepared by an enthusiastic and passionate cheese team and promises to be historic. 

The address is the same as for the second edition, since one of the main objectives of the event is to raise the profile and value of cheeses so that Brazilian professionals can have a better life. “We're making milk from stone - or rather whale's milk, which is rich in solids - to mark our territory, show our potential and make everyone's mouth water,” says Débora Pereira, president of the Brazilian Cheese World Cup and general director of SerTãoBras.

The program includes three national competitions (Best cheese maker in Brazil, Best cheese maker in Brazil e Best Fondue in Brazil) and an international one, the Cheese and Dairy Products Competition, The latter expects to receive 2,000 participating items, including cheeses, yogurts, milk jams and curds. 

Another major attraction is the cheese, drinks and artisanal food fair, which takes place in front of the theater, with free access. More than 100 producers will be selling their products directly from the farm and it is estimated that around 50,000 people will pass through over the four days of the event.

“After the last edition, we consulted our base and everyone wanted to do the third edition again at Praça da Baleia, in São Paulo. The producers, who came from all over Brazil, sold all their cheeses in 2022, made lots of contacts and new customers, it was very positive,” explains Vanessa Alcolea, president of the Brazil Club of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers and cheese maker at Pardinho Artesanal.

Scientific Program

The attractions of the 3rd Brazilian Cheese World Cup also extend to students, professionals and cheese lovers who want to understand why Brazilian production has attracted so much attention from the rest of the world. With each new competition, be it the World Cheese Championship in Brazil or the World Cheese Championship in Tours, France (events that take place every other year), the number of medals for Brazilian producers grows and, with recognition, so does the responsibility of each producer to stay on top, a virtuous cycle for the cheese chain. 

With this in mind, the Milky Way Program with more technical attractions during the event. There will be conferences, lectures and a mini-course with Múcio Furtado, PhD in cheese, whose topic “General Review of Cheese Defects” was requested by producers. There will also be commented tastings and the Professional Exhibition for suppliers in the cheese chain. 

Heavyweight participants

In its third edition, the Brazilian Cheese World Cup has already confirmed some famous guests, either as judges or as collaborators in the organization. Among them are the French Laurent Dubois, as chairman of the Cheese and Dairy Products Competition; Dominique Bouchait, Arnaud Sperat Czar, president of the Best Cheesemaker Contest in Brazil. The Swiss Consul for Tourism in Brazil, Fabien Clerc, is the chairman of the second Best Fondue Competition in Brazil. Roland Barthelemy, president of the Guilde International, will be flying in from France to follow the whole program, which includes the Enthronement ceremony of new guild members.

Check out the detailed schedule below: