The World Cheese Awards will open for entry on Sept. 5, 2018. The program’s organizer, the Gillingham, England-based Guild of Fine Food, said it expects a record-breaking 3,500 cheeses to be judged in Bergen, Norway, on Nov. 2.

The World Cheese Awards is the largest cheese-only competition on the planet and will this year form part of a brand new festival, Matnasjonen Norge, founded by HANEN. Taking place in Bergen’s Grieg Hall, the 31st edition of the awards will be set against the backdrop of Norway’s finest food and drink, the Guild of Fine Food said, including highlights such as Kraftkar from Tingvollost, which took the World Cheese Awards’ top prize in 2016.

Entrants from more than 30 countries will be looking to showcase their cheese on a world stage, hoping to land an award.

“With 30 years now under our belt, we’re very excited to be visiting Norway for the first time, in partnership with HANEN, to stage the largest cheese-only event that the world has ever seen,” said John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food. “This global celebration of cheese leaves a lasting legacy each and every year, for its hosts as well as its winners, and we feel incredibly proud to be taking a headline slot at Matnasjonen Norge as the country salutes its farmers, producers, chefs and retailers.”

The World Cheese Awards is open for entry from Sept. 5 through Sept. 28, unless the entry cap is reached before this date — early entry is recommended. Producers may enter online at www.gff.co.uk/wca, the Guild of Fine Food said.