Casello d'Oro Awards

Since 1990, Cathy Strange has played a key role in the success of Whole Foods Market as Vice President. A world-renowned cheese expert, in 2023 she transitioned into her current role as WFM’s Ambassador of Food Culture. She is also an esteemed judge at leading international competitions and an active member of culinary organizations such as the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, the American Cheese Society, Les Dames d’Escoffier and the Cheese Importers Association. She has been awarded the French Order of Agricultural Merit and was the first American to receive the “Golden Knife” from the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium.

The World Champion of the International Fromager Competition 2013 held in Tours, France. As a cheese taster, she has been attending as an international judge in Japan and Europe, including as a Super Jury of the Swiss Cheese Awards, le Mondial du Fromage TOURS for many years and the World Cheese Awards and etc. Currently, she is a cheese educator in Japan, promoting cheese evaluation standards and training fromagers, also Promoter of Cheese in Japan. Vice Chairman of the Japan Cheese Art Fromager Association, which promotes cheese art from Japan. She runs Fromager Japan, a fromager competition and a Japanese cheese competition in Japan.

Manu is the heart and soul of his restaurant, a dream brought to life together with his wife Carolina. Born and raised in Valdemorillo, his life has always been closely tied to the kitchens of the former Casa Manolo, the place his parents built with dedication and love. During his career as a journalist, Manu travelled extensively, working for major media outlets such as the daily newspaper AS, Cadena SER radio and international television networks. In 2019, he chose to fully embrace his passion for cooking. After five years of hard work, he has turned his restaurant into a benchmark, not only for the quality of its cuisine but also for the warmth and genuine hospitality with which every guest is welcomed. His dream continues to drive him: to make Valdemorillo a recognised gastronomic destination and to ensure that everyone who walks through his restaurant doors feels at home, experiencing moments of true joy and warmth. In 2023, his restaurant received a Repsol Sun Award, followed in 2024 by a Michelin Star from the Michelin Guide.

Maddalena Fossati Dondero has been Editor-in-Chief of La Cucina Italiana since 2017 and of Condé Nast Traveller Italia since 2020. She lived in Paris and Barcelona for over ten years, where she worked as a correspondent for Condé Nast publications. In 2010, she joined the editorial team of Vanity Fair as Lifestyle Editor. She is an Honorary Ambassador of Taste and holds the title of Madame Chevalier de l’Ordre Coteaux de Champagne. In 2020, she launched a campaign to promote Italian cuisine as UNESCO World Heritage, which culminated in March 2023 when the Italian government officially nominated “Italian cuisine, between sustainability and biocultural diversity” for inclusion on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. She is the author of books including La cucina di Antonio Guida (Silvana Editoriale), the on-screen talent of the TV show That’s Cucina – Italian Flavours Around the World (Food Network), and a judge on Celebrity Chef (TV8) alongside Alessandro Borghese and Andrea Aprea.

Eva Vila is a member of the third generation of the Vila family, owners of Vila Viniteca since its founding in 1932. She joined the company before completing her studies and, driven by a deep passion for gastronomy, chose to leave her previous job to dedicate herself fully to the family business, founded by her grandparents in the historic shop on Agullers Street in Barcelona, in the Born district. Over time, she has turned her particular passion for cheese into a professional vocation defined by rigor and sensitivity. Her training has been largely self-taught, both in national and international cheese cultures, thanks to the close relationships she has built with producers and suppliers over the years. At Vila Viniteca, she has helped build one of the most extensive cheese selections in the sector, with more than 350 artisanal references from small producers around the world. Her work focuses on the meticulous selection of each supplier and product, as well as on their affinage, a process she carries out together with a highly professional team to ensure that each cheese fully expresses its personality, seasonality, and texture. For the past five years, she has also been part of Ardai, the cheese distribution company that became part of the group in 2020, though it has a long history, having been founded in 1988. At Ardai, she is responsible for selecting the finest products, strengthening the connection between artisanal producers and professional gastronomy, and training both her team and clients. This role allows her to travel extensively and deepen her knowledge of both national and international gastronomy. She is also a member of the jury for several national and international cheese competitions, including the most recent World Cheese Awards held in Bern.

Carlos Yescas is an internationally recognised cheese judge, educator, and advocate for artisanal and traditional cheeses. Originally from Mexico, he co-founded Lactography, a successful cheese distribution company dedicated to supporting artisanal producers. He served on the Super Jury of the World Cheese Awards for ten years and is now the Spanish-language lead for World Cheese Awards TV. His first book, Quesos Mexicanos, was published by Larousse in 2013. His second book, One Cheese to Rule them All, co-authored with Patrick McGuigan and published by Murdoch Books, is scheduled for release in November 2025. Now based in the United Kingdom, Carlos has advised producers, retailers, and policymakers on preserving cheesemaking traditions worldwide. He has written extensively on the cultural, historical, and political dimensions of cheese, bridging the worlds of gastronomy, heritage preservation, and sustainable food systems, with a particular focus on Latin America. A firm advocate of raw-milk cheese, he led an influential global campaign to promote these products as safe, delicious, and integral to our shared culinary heritage. He continues to champion global appreciation for regional cheese diversity through teaching, writing, and public speaking, and will judge the prestigious Casello d'Oro cheese competition for the third time in Madrid in 2026.