British & Irish Cheese Awards opens for entry, as prestigious competition returns for 30th edition

The 30th edition of the British & Irish Cheese Awards will open for entry on Monday 12 January, with organisers, The Royal Bath & West Society, inviting cheesemakers across the UK and Ireland to submit their products for consideration by Tuesday 17 February.

All entries will be judged at The Bath & West Showground near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, on Friday 20 March, when the British Isles’ largest cheese awards scheme will bring together cheesemongers, cheesemakers, affineurs, farmers, retailers and commentators to find the best cheeses of 2026.

The British & Irish Cheese Awards will once again be hosted by the Bath & West Food & Drink Festival, which will open to the public on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 March. Returning to The Bath & West Showground for the third time, the festival will champion local producers with a food market, kitchen stage, dedicated cheese area, kids zone and much more.

The event will open exclusively to trade visitors on Friday 20 March, from midday until 3pm, giving cheesemakers and mongers the opportunity to showcase their products to buyers and the wider cheese community, with trade stands situated alongside the British & Irish Cheese Awards exhibits.

Julius Longman, chairman of the British & Irish Cheese Awards, commented:

“We’re incredibly excited to be staging the 30th anniversary edition of the British & Irish Cheese Awards in 2026, providing a wonderful platform to celebrate the very best in cheesemaking across the UK and Ireland. Having settled into our new home at the Bath & West Food & Drink Festival, the competition has been steadily growing in size and stature, so we hope to see more entries than ever before at next year’s event.”

Entries will be open via www.britishcheeseawards.com from Monday 12 January.