Airas Moniz’s Savel Won Spain’s Best Cheese Award in 2026

Savel, a cheese produced by the Galician cheesemaker Airas Moniz, received the title of Spain’s Best Cheese in 2026. The award places the product at the centre of an agricultural and cheesemaking model described as having developed over several years.

The model is associated with a livestock conversion that began in 2011. The source identifies this change as the foundation behind Savel, connecting the cheese’s production with a different approach to cattle farming.

Jersey cows are central to that approach. The cattle are kept under a grazing system, which is identified alongside the breed as one of the defining features of the production model behind the award-winning cheese.

The milk used in this model is described as having a higher fat and protein content. These characteristics are presented as part of the production system associated with Savel and with the farming conversion initiated in 2011.

Airas Moniz is a cheesemaker from Galicia, and Savel is its product recognised in the 2026 competition. The account therefore links the Spanish award to three stated elements: Jersey cattle, grazing and milk with increased levels of fat and protein.