May-Liss Røsberg Heggland
Around 230 national and international judges will judge more than 3,000 cheeses from all over the world. We have had a quick chat with some of the Norwegian judges. Meet May-Liss Røsberg Heggland, who has a Master's in Food Science from Norway's University of Environmental and Biosciences from 2002. She started her career as a microbiologist before, after 2 years, moving to Quality Manager at one of Norway's largest slaughterhouses. In 2008 she came to Tine where she has worked as a Product Developer. She has also been heavily involved in the start-up with Tine Jæren, which was put into operation in 2012. May-Liss has worked with the development of, among other things, organic Selbu Blå, Østavind and most recently Norsk Alpeost from Elnesvågen. - What is it like to be a judge in the World Cheese Championship, one of the most important competitions for cheese in the world? - It is a great honor to be invited as a judge to the WC! I am both proud and humbled to be involved in this. Now looking forward to my second year as a judge in the World Cheese Championship. Incredibly exciting since this year we are at home! - What could be the value of the Cheese WC being held in Norway? - Kraftkar has largely contributed to putting Norway on the map as a cheese nation. Last year, almost 20 Norwegian cheeses received medals. This helps to highlight the efforts that all small and large cheeseries have made. It is being noticed, and I think it can become more attractive to come to Norway for good taste experiences. - How can we be inspired to taste new Norwegian cheeses? - It is important that the products are easily accessible. Being present where people are, e.g. food markets, is very important to profile the good products that we are proud of. Tasting is a positive way to get people to try something they might not have dared to buy. Knowledge and history behind the products are also a very important part of the "package". Where does the product come from, who made it, where do the cows graze etc. Tell me, it gives inspiration to taste! - What is your best cheese memory? - It must be the launch of Norsk Alpeost at Matstreif this year, where we also received the Spesialitesmarket, an award for "unique taste" from Matmerk. I had never dreamed of such a great reception at the launch of the cheese. It shows that all the working hours I have put into the project together with good colleagues at TINE over the past 3.5 years are paying off. -What is your best serving tip for cheese? - Make it as simple as possible - cheese, good bread, some cured meats and white wine!