Here’s how to access all 2020 cheese and butter competition results at The Royal Agricultural Virtual Experience, a new, free platform loaded with features and videos:

1. Visit www.royalfair.org/virtual
2. Register on your first visit
3. Select the ‘Exhibit Hall’ tab
4. Go to ‘Champions Showcase’ Booth

• • Click the left picture tab for complete listing of results.
  • Winner profiles are found under the document tab on that same page.
  • Competition day videos are listed under videos.

A delicious extra old cheddar made by Maple Dale Cheese in Plainfield, Ontario, was declared a champion twice over in the 2020 Canadian Cheese & Butter Competition at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

Maple Dale’s Naturally Aged Extra Old Cheddar was named Grand Champion Cheddar. It also scored Ontario Champion Cheddar honours in the oldest cheese competition in Canada that dates back 98 years to 1922 when the Fair was first held at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

In this Covid-19 era, The Royal hosted the only cheese judging and competition in Canada and one of the few such contests in the world this year.

Judging took place on September 24 with six expert judges sampling and evaluating the 164 cheese and butter entries submitted by producers across Canada. The results were announced this morning at The Royal Agricultural Virtual Experience on a special new digital platform at http://www.royalfair.org/virtual that replaces the in-person fair this year.

Click here for all results in the Cheddar Section of the competition.

A nicely balanced Cumin Aged Gouda made by Mountainoak Cheese in New Hamburg, Ontario, was named Grand Champion Variety Cheese-Cow Milk.

Click here for all results in the Variety Cheese—Cow Milk Section of the competition.

A wonderful Artisan Chevre made by Cross Wind Farm in Keene, Ontario, was named Grand Champion in the Variety Cheese—Goat, Sheep, Water Buffalo & Mixed Milk Section of the competition.

Click here for all results in the Variety Cheese—Goat, Sheep, Water Buffalo & Mixed Milk Section of the competition.

Butter has been an integral part of the Cheese & Butter Competition at The Royal since the first fair 98 years ago. Since the 2019 competition, ghee has been included.

Organic Unsalted Butter made by Gay Lea Foods Co-operative was named Grand Champion in the Butter and Ghee Section of the competition.

Click here for all results in the Butter and Ghee Section of the competition.

READ MORE:

• Canada’s oldest—and only—cheese competition under way at The Royal
• Cheese and butter finalists for 2020 named by The Royal
• Maple Dale Cheese
• Mountainoak Cheese
• Cross Wind Farm
• Gay Lea Foods Co-operative

Be sure to visit The Royal Agricultural Virtual Experience on a special new digital platform at http://www.royalfair.org/virtual that replaces the in-person fair this year. The site is loaded with features and videos.

—Georgs Kolesnikovs

Georgs Kolesnikovs, Cheese-Head-in-Chief at CheeseLover.ca, Canada’s most popular blog about fromage, served as co-host with Katie Brown of the virtual competition in the video above.