The Oviedo City Council, the Government of the Principality of Asturias and the Cheese Institute have presented the Oviedo is Cheese campaign, an initiative that will become the prelude to a year that will reach its higher point during the celebration of the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival and the World Cheese Awards, which will be held in November 2021 and will turn Oviedo into an international focus for the cheese sector.

After the announcement in July of the Festival´s delay, which was scheduled for the first week of November 2020, the Management Committee has decided to modify the planning and organize the Oviedo is Cheese campaign which has a triple objective: “Promote the Festival, position Oviedo and Asturias as the world capital of cheese and contribute to the economic recovery of the agri-food sector”.

Oviedo is Cheese will begin its journey next November with the “Forum for Innovation on Cheese Sector” and it will, every month, go down several stops until it reaches its final destination, which is the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival. Every Oviedo is Cheese stop will promote the Festival by the organization of a monthly thematic campaign, which will merge the cheese sector and several disciplines such as innovation, music, sports or literature.

“The present initiative will help us on keeping the Festival´s flame alive, which has generated excitement in both Oviedo and Asturias. We want to turn the Festival´s delay into a fantastic opportunity to position Asturian cheeses and promote the culture of cheese. From now on we would like to call on both the cheese sector and the general public to participate in the different initiatives that we will organize during the upcoming months”, have pointed out the organization.

Cheese Innovation

Innovation in the dairy sector is the theme chosen for the beginning of the Oviedo is Cheese campaign. During three days, from November 3^rd to 5^th, the Oviedo´s Calatrava Congress Palace will host several activities organized within the “Forum for Innovation on Cheese Sector”, an event aimed at both professional and general public.

The program of activities will begin on November 3^rd with the “Conferences for Entrepreneurship and Cheese Innovation”, which are aimed at an audience with a professional profile and will be attended by professors, entrepreneurs, scientists or innovators, “who, during two days, will share knowledge and experience in subjects such as health and science, innovation or the agri-food in the future”. The presentations will end up with an Organoleptic or Sensory Tasting of Asturian cheeses.

Another highlight of the “Forum for Innovation on Cheese Sector” will be the organization of the first edition of the National Author´s Cheese Contest – The Cheese Talent, which will be held on November 5^th. During the contest, aimed at cheese producers, participants will have ten minutes to present and defend their cheese productions in front of a jury made up of professionals who will value and evaluate the several candidacies. The most highly valuated candidacy will win a promotional stand at the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival.

The contest can be also followed from the comfortable seats of the Calatrava Auditorium and will finish with a tasting of cheeses awarded at the World Cheese Awards.