The names of finalists in the seventh Canadian Cheese Grand Prix were released today by Dairy Farmers of Canada. A record-breaking total of 203 cheeses from six provinces were submitted for judging in the competition.

A panel of Canada’s top cheese experts spent two days in Montréal last weekend tasting and evaluating 203 of the best cow-milk cheeses this country has to offer as they narrowed the field down to 51 cheeses in 17 categories.

The Grand Champion and Champions in the 17 categories will be announced by Dairy Farmers of Canada during an invitation-only Gala of Champions on April 20 at Palais Royale in Toronto. The first opportunity for the public to taste all winners in one place will be at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival on June 4-5 in Picton, Ontario.

The Canadian Cheese Grand Prix is a competition sponsored and hosted by Dairy Farmers of Canada, celebrating the high quality and proud tradition of Canadian cheese made from 100% Canadian cow’s milk.

Here are the 51 finalists for the 2011 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. In the photos, the cheeses, left to right, are in the order of the listing for each category. Click on any image for a larger view.

Fresh cheese:

• Fromage cottage à l’ancienne, Beurrerie Du Patrimoine, Québec
• Mascarpone Tre Stelle, Arla Foods, Ontario
• Omega-3 Ricotta, Silani Sweet Cheese, Ontario

Soft cheese with bloomy rind:

• Comox Brie, Natural Pastures Cheese, British Columbia
• Comox Camembert, Natural Pastures Cheese, British Columbia
• Island Bries, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, British Columbia

Semi-soft cheese:

• Lankaaster Traditional Gouda, Glengarry Fine Cheese, Ontario
• Le Polichinel, Laiterie Chalifoux /Fromages Riviera, Québec
• Gouda Mild, Sylvan Star Cheese, Alberta

Washed-rind soft and semi-soft cheese:

• Magie de Madawasca, Fromagerie Le Détour, Québec
• Le Rang des Iles, Fromagerie Médard, Québec
• Le Mont-Jacob, Fromagerie Blackburn, Québec

Firm cheese:

• Gouda Aged, Sylvan Star Cheese, Alberta
• Lankaaster Traditional Gouda Aged, Glengarry Fine Cheese, Ontario
• Louis d’Or, Fromagerie du Presbytère, Québec

Swiss-type cheese:

• Fromage Suisse Lemaire, Fromagerie Lemaire, Québec
• Le Lotbinière, Fromagerie Bergeron, Québec
• Le Moine, Fromagerie Abbaye St-Benoît, Québec

Mozzarella:

• Burratta Bella Casara, Quality Cheese, Ontario
• Mozzarella Tre Stelle, Arla Foods, Ontario
• Bocconcini Santa Lucia, International Cheese, Ontario

Blue cheese:

• Le Rassembleu, Les Fromagiers de la Table Ronde, Québec
• Le Bleu d’Élizabeth, Fromagerie du Presbytère, Québec
• Celtic Blue, Glengarry Fine Cheese, Ontario

Flavoured cheese with added non-particulate flavouring:

• Smoked Gouda, Ivanhoe Cheese, Ontario
• Naturally Smoked Boerenkaas, Natural Pastures Cheese, British Columbia
• Medium Gouda Smoked, Sylvan Star Cheese, Alberta

Flavoured cheese with added particulate solids and flavouring:

• Gouda Herbs and Garlic, Sylvan Star Cheese, Alberta
• Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese with salsa flavour, Ivanhoe Cheese, Ontario
• Dofino Jalapeño Havarti, Arla Foods, Ontario

Mild cheddar:

• Cheddar Doux Biologique, Fomagerie L’Ancêtre, Québec
• Mild Cheddar, St-Albert Cheese Co-operative, Ontario
• Mild Cheddar, Black River Cheese, Ontario

Medium cheddar:

• Medium Cheddar, Black River Cheese, Ontario
• Medium Cheddar, St-Albert Cheese Co-operative, Ontario
• Cheddar moyen Biologique, Fromagerie L’Ancêtre, Québec

Old and extra old cheddar:

• Cheddar 1 year, Fromagerie Perron, Québec
• Naturally aged old cheddar, Maple Dale Cheese, Ontario
• Le Jersey du Fjord, Bergeries du Fjord, Québec

Aged Cheddar (1-3 years):

• Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar, Cows Creamery, Prince Edward Island
• Extra Old Cheddar, Cows Creamery, Prince Edward Island
• Cheddar extra old, St-Albert Cheese Co-operative, Ontario

Aged Cheddar (4 years +):

• Cheddar 5 years, St-Albert Cheese Co-operative, Ontario
• Cheddar Doyen 4 years, Fromagerie Perron, Québec
• Cheddar aged 8 years, Maple Dale Cheese, Ontario

Farmhouse cheese:

• Le Mont-Jacob, Fromagerie Blackburn, Québec
• Le Bleu d’Élizabeth, Fromagerie du Presbytère, Québec
• Louis d’Or, Fromagerie du Presbytère, Québec

Organic cheese:

• Baluchon, Fromagerie FX Pichet, Québec
• Le Bleu d’Élizabeth, Fromagerie du Presbytère, Québec
• Louis d’Or, Fromagerie du Presbytère, Québec

Jury members:

Phil Bélanger, Jury Chairman for the seventh edition of the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. Phil is Senior Consultant for Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour for the province of New Brunswick, chairman of La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs for the New Brunswick chapter and an independent consultant in hospitality and tourism.

Gurth M. Pretty, chef and author of two books on cheese, president and founder of CheeseofCanada.ca, past president of the Canadian Cheese Society, and member of La Société des fromages du Québec and the American Cheese Society.

Allison Spurrell, owner of the cheese boutique Les Amis du Fromage and the cheese-inspired restaurant Au Petit Chavignol in Vancouver. Allison holds a certificate in cheese making technology from the University of Guelph and was inducted in the Confrérie des Chevaliers des Fromages de France.

Antoine Sicotte, artist, television host, photographer, musician and self-taught cook extraordinaire. Antoine is the author of the best-seller Le Cuisinier rebelle, a cookbook as unique as its author. The book was honoured in the Best First Cookbook category at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2009, and won silver in the French cookbook category at the 2010 Canadian Culinary Book Awards. He is currently working on two new cookbooks, as well as several additional television projects.

Ian Picard, vice-president of La Fromagerie Hamel in Montreal. Ian studied everything there is to learn about cheese at the École Nationale d’Industrie Laitière et des Biotechnologies de Poligny in France.

Rita Demontis, award-winning writer with the Toronto Sun for 34 years, Lifestyle and Food Editor, as well as National Food Editor for the Sun Media chain. Rita was recently awarded the Ontario Produce Marketing Association’s Person of the Year award in Ontario.

Michael Howell, chef, cookbook author, leader of Slow Food Nova Scotia, president of The Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia and sits on the board of Taste of Nova Scotia. Michael is also the owner of Tempest Restaurant in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Judging of the entries took place on February 19 and 20 at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) in Montreal. For two days, jury members carefully observed, touched, smelled, and tasted each cheese and evaluated them according to precise criteria, including colour and general appearance, texture and body, flavour and salt content. To be eligible for the Grand Prix, cheeses must be produced in Canada exclusively from 100% Canadian cow’s milk and be available to consumers at point of sale at the time they are judged.

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) strives to create favourable conditions for the Canadian dairy industry, today and in the future. DFC works to maintain policies that foster the viability of Canadian dairy producers and to promote quality Canadian dairy products made from 100% Canadian cow’s milk as part of a healthy balanced diet.