For another year, the Montanejos Artisan Cheese Fair in Castellón hosted the Valencian Community Artisan Cheese Competition. The event was organized by the Montanejos City Council, the Montanejos Tourism Foundation, and the Valencian Community Craft Center.
In this edition seven prizes were awarded across seven categories. The title of Best Artisan Cheese in the Valencian Community 2022 went to the San Antonio cheese factory in Callosa d’En Sarrià, Alicante, for its cured cow cheese, which also claimed the top prize for Best Pressed Cow Cheese. The same facility earned a separate accolade as Best Pressed Goat Cheese with its aged goat cheese.
The remaining winners in the different categories were announced as follows:
- The Best Fermented and Curdled Milk: Curds from Masía Els Masets in La Torre d’en Besora, Castellón.
- Best Fresh Cheese: El de Sereix fresh goat cheese from Mutxamel, Alicante.
- The Best Lactic or Mixed Coagulation Cheese: Goat roll from Arte Láctico in Chiva, Valencia.
- The Best Pressed Sheep Cheese: Extramuros from Los Corrales Artisan Cheese Factory in Almedíjar, Castellón.
The judging panel was led by José Maria Manglano, with participation from notable figures in the regional food scene, including Charcuterias Manglano, Miguel Sandals (Mayor of Montanejos), Guillermina Sanchez (sommelier), Max Money (Valencian Gastronomy Association member), Tony Quintana (General Manager of Agriculture), Roser Romero del Castillo (professor and researcher), Nuria Montes (HOSBEC Secretary General), Mario Villar Garcia (Director of Tourist Intelligence for Turismo Comunitat Valenciana), Michael Clemades (General Director of the Valencia Community Handicraft Centre), Rosa Vazquez (PROAVA Technical Director), and Paul Lozano (Valencia Culinary Club Director).
About Montanejos Artisan Cheese Fair
The Montanejos Artisan Cheese Fair represents the premier gathering for Valencian artisan cheese and marked its seventh edition on a weekend spanning 1 and 2 October in Montanejos, Castellón. Thirteen Valencian dairy farms participated, alongside six guest producers from other Spanish regions, showcasing their wares along Montanejos’ streets. The fair’s beverage and food program included wines from PROAVA, Viver Cooperative, and Alcoví winery, oils from Altura Cooperative, craft beer from La Vidigonera de Montanejos, and Cortes de Arenoso water.
The festival features a rich program of activities. Saturday’s programming included cooking demonstrations with Castelló Ruta de Sabor products and the official chef of the Spanish Football Team, Daniel García Peinado, along with executive chef at La Cala Resort in Mijas. The tasting paired IGP wines from PROAVA with traditional cheeses and Iberian sausages, guided by sommelier David Remolar, president of the Valencian Sommeliers Federation. Sunday continued with more tastings, including extra virgin olive oil, and a special cheese and EVOO focus led by PROAVA with chef José Manuel López Iglesias of Denia’s Peix i Brases, a one-Michelin-star establishment with two Repsol suns. The events took place at the Espacio Castelló Ruta de Sabor in Villa Purificación, including the III Conference on Artisan Cheese and the Promotion of Valencia Dairy Farming, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency, and Ecological Transition. Industry experts led tastings and technical talks throughout the day.
The seventh Montanejos Artisan Cheese Fair was supported by the Montanejos City Council, the Montanejos Tourism Foundation, the Castellón Provincial Council, Castelló Ruta de Sabor, Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, L ́Exquisit Mediterrani, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency, and Ecological Transition. The event also received backing from the Economy, Productive Industries, Ministry of Trade and Labor, and the Valencian Community Cheese Producers Association, along with regional technical associations and the Polytechnic University of Valencia.