FROMAGO Takes Valladolid by Storm on Its Tour Leading Up to Europe’s Largest Cheese Event

Javier Faúndez, president of the Zamora Provincial Council, highlights Fromago’s rise to become a well-established international trade fair during the second stop on the “Camino de Fromago”

The Regional Government of Castile and León has doubled its financial contribution compared to the previous edition, reinforcing its support for the fair and once again linking it to the Cincho Awards gala

EILZA has confirmed more than 300 exhibitors and more than 400 booths, with 98% occupancy, as well as the addition of new countries such as Switzerland, Colombia, and Japan

“Every resident of Castile and León should, at least once in their lifetime, make a pilgrimage to Fromago in Zamora.” With this invitation , Javier Faúndez, president of the Zamora Provincial Council, concluded the presentation of the FROMAGO Cheese Experience 2026, held this Tuesday at the Espacio Q-Bo in the La Granja Building in Valladolid. This was the second stop on the presentation tour for a fair that, in Faúndez’s own words, “is no longer a national fair; it is a well-established and well-positioned international fair.”

The third edition of Fromago will be held in Zamora from September 17 to 20 and will feature more than 2 kilometers of outdoor fairgrounds —over 40,000 m²—through the streets of the historic district. Seven culinary zones will be scattered throughout the city, along with several stages featuring tastings, food and wine pairings, expert presentations, and concerts—all free of charge for all visitors over the course of four days.

The Zamora Provincial Council: The Driving Force Behind a Well-Established Project

Faúndez sought to highlight the journey of a fair that, in just three editions, has gone from being an exciting project to an internationally renowned event. The president praised the work of the EILZA Foundation as the organizing body and highlighted the role of the Provincial Council as an institution that has successfully surrounded itself with the best talent to grow the Fromago brand.

The president also noted that the fair is“a tribute to the industry and the rural community” of Zamora and Castile and León, with special recognition for the livestock farmers who sustain and revitalize the province’s rural areas, as well as to the cheese-making businesses based in the region that “are growing because they’re doing things right.”

Faúndez also detailed the upcoming stops on the “Camino de Fromago” tour: after Oviedo and Valladolid, the tour will continue to Silleda, Madrid, Porto, Bragança, and Salamanca, following an itinerary that reflects the national and international reach the fair has achieved.

The strengthened support from the Regional Government of Castile and León

The official opening was led by María González Corral, Regional Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development for the Regional Government of Castile and León, who confirmed that the Regional Government has doubled its financial contribution to the fair compared to the previous edition, describing this support as firm and sustained.

González Corral highlighted the importance of the dairy sector in the region: Castilla y León is Spain’s leading region in sheep milk production, second in cow milk production, and produces one out of every three cheeses in the country. The dairy industry accounts for 18% of the region’s agri-food sector, with a turnover of nearly 3,000 million euros and more than 6,000 jobs. The regional minister also confirmed that the Cincho Awards, now in their tenth year, will hold their awards ceremony in conjunction with Fromago, strengthening the partnership between two of the region’s major cheese events.

A trade show that is 98% confirmed, with new countries on board

Sara Fregeneda, president of the EILZA Foundation, outlined the highlights of this year’s event: more than 300 confirmed exhibitors —80% of whom are cheesemakers—more than 400 booths, and a 98% occupancy rate, with a waiting list and national registrations about to close. The only section still open is the international section, which was deliberately reserved to strengthen the foreign presence.

Fregeneda announced new confirmations that expand its international presence: in addition to Portugal, France, the Netherlands, and Italy, Switzerland, Colombia, Japan, and the United Kingdom have now been added. The organization will travel to London this Saturday to meet with one of the fair’s most prominent tuners, and in late June it will travel to France for the same purpose.

Among the new features, the addition of a fourth cheese tunnel —dedicated to the winning cheeses of the Cincho Awards—stood out, as did the presence of traditional crafts such as spinners, and the debut of the First National Best Cheesecake Contest, which joins the already well-established Best Fromelier and Best Cheese Board contests. On the professional front, the fair will strengthen its reverse trade missions in collaboration with the Regional Government’s ICE and the Zamora Chamber of Commerce, with the goal of attracting 50 buyers.