Record number of cheeses to compete for 'Swiss Champion' title

Bern : Hundreds of cheese afficionados were descending on the Swiss city of Lucerne on Friday to show off their varieties in a bid to pick up awards at an annual competition that would see a record number of the much-loved dairy product.

Some 600 cheese-makers would be offering up their produce at the Swiss Cheese Awards, with about 150 jurors from Switzerland and beyond expecting to take on about 900 different cheeses in 28 categories, reports Efe news.

"At the start of September, more than 900 cheeses were registered for the 11th Swiss Cheese Awards, a new record," the organisers said in a statement.

Awards would be up for grabs across 28 categories, with one of these winners being crowned the "Swiss Champion" on Saturday.

"The jury will be made up of international personalities given that about 30 of the specialists come from abroad to participate," the organisers said on their site.

In order to accommodate all of these culinary creations, about 1,000 meters of exhibition tables were needed.

Besides the competition itself, the event would see cheese-making demonstrations, tastings and market stalls.

Switzerland is world-famous for its cheese, which is an important part of the country's cultural heritage.