Who has the tastiest cheese of the Netherlands?

HOUTEN - On September 26 and 27 2017 the Food Specialty Exhibition took place in Houten, the Netherlands. This time the exhibition space was enlarged by adding a 3^rd exhibition hall giving space to 250 booths of all kinds of food specialists aiming for specialty stores and gourmet shops.

The floor was filled with beautiful booths with all kinds of cheeses, nuts and dried fruits, chocolate, bonbons, coffee and tea, charcuterie, wines and other drink specialties, but also of non-food items like gift packaging and clothing. Examples of interesting novelties were YoGeit, a drink yoghurt made from goat yoghurt, goat whey and date syrup; Hey ‘hagelpasta’, chocolate paste with a crispy bite, crisps with wine and truffle from Spain, bonbonballs from the ‘Nederlandse bal collectie’; natural syrups of Agroposta, black lemon cheese with limoncello and Brix chocolate to combine with wine.

During the exhibition the NNKC, the Dutch National Cheese Contest takes place, a phenomenon in the Dutch cheese world and organised for the 58th time this year. Every year another category is chosen for the contest, this time the category Gouda 48+ matured (maximum 1 year ripened) and semi matured goat cheese 50+ (till 10 weeks ripening) were in the spotlight. Mid-September the best tasting cheeses were preselected by consumer panels. There were over 500 participants from all parts of the cheese and gourmet sector. Finalists were exhibited during the Food Specialty Fair and all visitors were invited to taste them. We just have to wait a little before we know what is the best cheese of the Netherlands - the winners will be announced on October 5!

TEN advises and supports food companies that are aiming to broaden their horizons. We co-ordinate food export activities, encourage business development projects, and create new international links. We also help improve the standard of existing export activities, and we operate as SIB advisor (Starters International Business, an initiative of the Dutch government) to SMEs.

For more information www.theexportnetwork.nl or contact us for a first meeting without any obligations: http://www.theexportnetwork.nl/contact/.