Colombian Cheese Wins Gold at the 2025 World Cheese Awards in Switzerland

The Colombian dairy sector has reached a new peak of international recognition in Switzerland, host of the 2025 World Cheese Awards, the world’s most prestigious event dedicated to cheese evaluation. In a competition that brought together 5,244 samples from 46 countries, the Colombian-based company HolaAndes took home the gold medal thanks to its Extra Aged (Extra Maduro) variety. This award not only celebrates the quality of a specific product but also validates the Colombian countryside’s capacity to compete in the most demanding markets of global gastronomy.

The recognition earned by the Extra Aged cheese is the result of a rigorous technical evaluation where a panel of international judges analyzed aspects such as rind, aroma, body, texture, and mouthfeel. Exceeding these standards in the global cradle of cheese demonstrates that domestic raw materials, when processed with discipline and technique, are on par with the great European designations of origin.

Innovation and Tradition in Guatavita

The significance of this award for the dairy guild lies in its production model. The award-winning cheese is made in the rural community of Monquentiva, in Guatavita (Cundinamarca), fusing the richness of local milk with an authentic Dutch Gouda recipe dating back to 1847. The cheeses are crafted by young rural women from the Guatavita Dairy Cooperative (Colega), who have successfully transformed primary production into a high-value-added product.

The impact of this achievement goes beyond the medal; it sends a strong message about the potential of Colombian agribusiness to diversify its exports and elevate the profile of its dairy derivatives.

Regarding this triumph, the brand’s co-founder, Tobias Rijnsdorp, who received the award in Switzerland, stated: “We are very proud and delighted to bring the Gold medal to Colombia in this globally important competition. We must believe in the Colombian countryside itself and in local products. The real gold is in the countryside.”

A Model of International Cooperation

The success of HolaAndes exemplifies how knowledge transfer can boost rural development. The synergy between Dutch technique and the daily effort of the Guatavita community has made it possible to consolidate a product that respects origin and quality.

Rijnsdorp highlighted the human component behind the product’s technical excellence: “These medals are for Colombia and for Monquentiva – Guatavita, where the cooperative’s producers work every day to offer the best milk, and for the young women of the cooperative, who learned the art of artisanal Gouda cheese from expert cheesemakers from the Netherlands.”

This gold at the 2025 World Cheese Awards sets a precedent for the country’s small and medium-sized producers, demonstrating that a commitment to quality, technical modernization, and artisanal know-how is the path to positioning Colombia as a quality benchmark on the global cheese map.