September 28, 2021 - Five Gligora Cheese Factory cheeses took home an award at the Great Taste Awards held this year!

It's likely that if you've been lucky enough to taste cheese in Croatia, chances are, it's from Gligora. With a history that dates back to 1918 when Ivan Gligora's grandfather began producing Pag cheese in Kolan on the island of Pag, the Gligora Dairy brand was soon born, and its success - inevitable.

Over the years, the Gligora brand has grown as home to Croatia's most prized dairy products. With over 50 employees at work every day, the factory produces over 450 tons of various cheeses annually, including about 50 tons of Pag cheese, with milk to make Pag cheese purchased from 200 partners from Pag, Dalmatia, Lika, and Kordun (for other cheese types). 

International awards crown every year of work. 

This time, the extra old Pag cheese, Likotin ripened in cherry Maraska, and Kozlar from olive pomace were awarded two stars, and Pag cheese and Težački cheese from wine must with one star at the 2021 Great Taste Awards in the UK!

The UK's annual Guild of Fine Food competition judged more than 14,000 entries, 355 judges took part, and less than 2 percent of them received the best three-star rating. Two-star awards were also given to 1,138 products, and 4,027 received a one-star rating.

"Attractive, aged cheese with a good contrast of crust and cheese dough. A well-groomed cheese manifests itself in nutty, sweet, sour, and caramel flavors that lead to the pleasant acidity typical of sheep cheese of this age. The cheese we want to eat!" said one of the judges about the extra old Pag cheese.

Šime Gligora, the owner of the Gligora cheese factory, was also pleased:

“We are very pleased with the awards as a confirmation of the effort, dedication, and quality of work of all employees of the cheese factory. This is a common success for all of us and an additional impulse for the future. I want to thank all the customers who have recognized our quality before these awards and regularly trust us with their purchases."

The Great Taste Awards were born in 1994 under the Guild of Fine Food Retailers with one goal - to ensure "retailers and producers work together to convince consumers that high quality, great-tasting food is mostly prepared in small batches by dedicated makers using fresh, honest & where possible local ingredients."

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At this year's World Cheese Awards competition, Sirana Gligora (Gligora Cheese Factory), from Pag island was given a total of 8 medals!

The competition was held in Bergamo in Italy, and a record-setting 3,804 competed for the awards. In such a respectable competition, the Croatian cheesemaker was able to get 4 gold medals, 2 silvers and 2 bronze medals. Gold medals were awarded to Pag Cheese, Likotin affinated in maraska cherries, Kolan affinated in olives and Cow ashes cheese. The silvers and bronzes went to the mustard cheese, Žigljen and Liburjan cheeses.

This is the most medals won by a Croatian cheese factory at this year's WCA.

Šime Gligora, the owner of the factory, said that this serves as a confirmation of the continuing excellence of the protected cheese from Pag. Last year, at the same competition, they received a Supergold award, and this year at the Great Taste Awards in London they received the highest possible three stars.

He added that they are very happy that their affinated cheeses, such as sheep's Likotin affinated in maraska cherry keep getting the highest awards. That is also an additional incentive to continue making and improving them.

Two months ago, they affinated the cheese in maraska cherry, and currently, the process is being performed with the wine and olives. Such methods and techniques in cheese-making are quite unknown in Croatia, so awards like these help make those unique and innovative products more recognisable to the Croatian consumers. He highlighted their completely new product, cheese with mustard, which hasn't even hit the shelves in Croatian stores, which was also given a silver medal at this event.

The Gligora cheese factory wants its customers to know that they will continue making the highest-quality cheeses and that they're hoping to keep winning awards at upcoming cheese and food competitions. They've recently opened their delis in Zagreb, more specifically in the Arena and Cvjetni shopping malls, and they're currently finalising the preparations for the opening of their new "Cheese & Deli" store in the centre of Split.

The recent Gastronaut culinary tour of Pag island got us acquainted with its unforgettable gourmet delights. A tribute to the world-renowned Pag cheese and two outstanding cheese factories on March 29, 2018

Paski sir by Gligora voted “Best Central and Eastern Europe cheese” at the World Cheese Awards