Cheese & Butter Competition, Gay Lea Grass-Fed Butter, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Perfect score earns Gay Lea Grass-Fed Butter Grand Champion crown at The Royal

No Comments

For the first time in memory a perfect score was recorded in the annual Canadian Cheese & Butter Competition at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair when Gay Lea Grass-Fed Salted Butter was crowned Grand Champion in this year’s competition presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario at the 100th Anniversary Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

Comments by judges on the score sheets are telling: Beautiful texture, smooth body, excellent colour, super clean flavour.

Gay Lea Foods Co-operative, with more than 1,400 dairy farms across Ontario and Manitoba as members, has butter-making down pat. Its Grass-Fed Salted Butter scored a perfect 100.00 to win Grand Champion and its category. Gay Lea Sea Salted Butter scored 99.5, its Gras-Fed Unsalted scored 98.5, both winning their respective categories.

Cows that feed on fresh grass produce the best cheese and butter.

Gay Lea’s grass-fed butters have a distinct yellow colour, rich flavour and silky mouthfeel. And they are healthy as butter can be.

Experts in health and nutrition tell us that grass-fed butter is a good source of vitamin A and the antioxidant beta carotene. It also has a higher proportion of healthy, unsaturated fats and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) than regular butter.

What’s more, it provides vitamin K2, a form of vitamin K that plays an important role in your bone and heart health. Overall, grass-fed butter is a relatively healthy alternative to regular butter when consumed in moderation.

Technical Judge Barry Reid.

What makes grass-fed butter better?

We asked Barry Reid, one of the technical judges in the RAWF competition. Born into a cheesemaking family, Barry’s father was a cheesemaker for 30+ years, Barry was, too, for 15 years. For 20 years following, Barry was a full-time dairy inspector with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency based out of Belleville, Ontario. For the past 35 years, Barry has judged cheese and butter competitions.

“The freshness of the grass. The sunshine. Nature always produces the best if you look after it. No sprays or chemicals, et cetera.

“Hay stored in buildings for any extended period of time will deteriorate over time. But climate, especially in Canada, dictates we do this.

“Cows help the process along if they are not stressed, if they have a good life environment, with lots of water and good feed.”

As award-winning cheesemakers have told us many times over the years: It all begins with the grass. Happy cows produce the best milk—which makes the best cheese and butter.

Butter is typically made from cow’s milk. Essentially, it’s the fat from milk in solid form. It’s made by churning milk until the butterfat separates from the buttermilk.

In the 2022 Cheese & Butter Competition at The Royal, there were 195 entries submitted by producers across Canada. Judging took place June 10. Complete results are posted at https://www.assistexpo.ca/results/rawf/5/

Read more:

Support for the competition was provided by the Presenting Partner, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, which has made over $30,000 in prize money available, as well as Metro which supports the competition and presents the Champions Showcase during The Fair.

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair celebrates 100 years of world-class equine and agricultural excellence on November 4-13, 2022, at Exhibition Place in Toronto. It is the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show.

The Royal draws more than 300,000 visitors to Toronto annually to see thousands of unique entries from elite Canadian and international breeders, growers and exhibitors, more than 4,500 large and small animals, shows, activities, shopping, dining and—of course—The Royal Horse Show.

Come and experience The Royal, there’s truly something for the entire family. Click here for information and tickets.

Cheese & Butter Competition, Cows Creamery, Extra Old Cheddar, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Cows Creamery cheddar crowned Grand Champion at The Royal

No Comments
Armand Bernard, lead cheesemaker at Cows Creamery in Charlottetown, P.E.I. since 2006.

Cows Creamery has done it again.

The Extra Old Cheddar made by the P.E.I. cheese producer was honoured as Grand Champion Cheddar in the 2022 Canadian Cheese & Butter Competition presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario at the 100th Anniversary Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

The victory in the oldest and biggest cheese and butter competition in Canada represents the latest in a long list of awards garnered by a remarkable cheddar whose recipe hails from the Orkney Islands north of mainland Scotland.

In 2004, Cows Creamery owner Scott Linkletter visited the Orkney Islands where his family has roots. He fell in love with the taste of the local cheese and returned with a recipe for traditional English cheddar and a dream to make cheese with local milk in P.E.I.

Linkletter enlisted the help of Armand Bernard, who had already been working at Cows as an ice-cream maker for 10 years, meaning Bernard was no stranger to transforming P.E.I. milk into something extraordinary.

Cows Creamery introduced Extra Old Cheddar to the world in 2006.

They developed Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar and the wonderful aged cheddar that in 2014 was selected as the World’s Best Aged Cheddar and last week at The Royal as Canada’s best cheddar—for, it seems, the umpteenth time.

The recipe for all cheddars made by Cows Creamery is essentially the same—except for the aging process and length of time in affinage.

Bernard, the lead cheesemaker at Cows since 2006, is known for his meticulous attention to detail. Andrea White, wholesale manager at Cows, says his consistency is part of the reason Cows Creamery products are a cut above the rest: “Armand leads a team of professionals that never waiver on the quality and precision of their work. Every day is different; from cloth-binding fresh wheels of cheddar, to flipping and vacuuming the cheeses as they age in their caves, ensuring uniformity in their aging—consistency is always part of the job”.

Bernard believes high-quality P.E.I. milk plays a key role in their success. Cows Creamery works with a local dairy co-op that supports 160 small, family-run farms on the island. The average herd size is a mere 65 Holstein cattle and care is taken by each farmer to maintain clean farming practices. Throughout the year, the cows graze on clay- and iron-rich pasture and eat a mixed diet of hay, grain, and silage. Sea salt and minerals are naturally occurring in the environment, too, which gives the cheeses unique earthy notes.

No point on the island is more than 30 kilometres or so from the sea.

The Extra Old Cheddar is aged for at least 18 months. It’s made with vegetable rennet, all natural, with no colour added. The cheese is made with unpasteurized milk: The milk is gently heated, which preserves the micro-organisms and enzymes in raw milk that give cheddar its characteristic flavour.

Like wine, cheese has a terroir, says Bernard. “The area it’s produced in—whether it’s the nutrients in the soil or the air the cows breathe—has certain things that can’t be replicated. On the island, we’re surrounded by water. We have the red soil. I don’t believe I could take the same recipe to central or western Canada and create the same product.”

For Cows Creamery, Bernard says, the trick to making “absolutely delicious” cheese is the aging process.

“The real flavour comes with time as the cheese ages,” he says. “Some cheese will get sharper, ours becomes more flavourful, with more depth of character.”

Bernard grew up on a small farm near Tignish, about 150 kilometres northwest of Charlottetown where Cows Creamery is based.

“We were a small farm, milked 24 cows. I had six brothers and sisters. It was all hands on deck. We had chores in the barn before we went to school and helped with the milking at night. Summers were spent at home working the fields. It was an awesome way to grow up.”

Did your family make anything with the milk?

“No, but we drank two gallons a day when everybody was home. It was delicious. In the summertime, you’d have the cream rise to the top, and you’d have it on strawberry shortcake. I got to know milk well.”

Culture magazine, the leading publication about cheese in the English-speaking world, had this to say about the taste of Cows Creamery Extra Old Cheddar:

“Although on first glance the texture of this cheese is semi-firm and crumbly, on the palate it’s unexpectedly creamy and smooth, melting in the mouth. Its great taste hits you immediately, with a notable tang and sourness that interplays with a mild sharpness. An initial hint of sweetness can be detected, as well as rich, full toasted nut and buttery cashew aromas and notes of pineapple, chive and sweet cream.”

Cows Creamery is based at 12 Milky Way in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

COWS Ice Cream has been a family tradition on Prince Edward Island since 1983. From a small kiosk on the famous Cavendish Boardwalk in Charlottetown, the COWS brand now has seven locations across P.E.I, four in Nova Scotia, and one each is Whistler, Banff, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Quebec City and Beijing, China. The COWS brand has expanded over the years with cheese and butter lines, as well as the popular COWS-themed merchandise.

Raspberry Point Oyster Co. is a sister company shipping choice oysters throughout Canada, U.S.A., Europe and Asia. The company started as a bit of a hobby for Scott Linkletter and his father who harvested oysters near the family summer home in New London Bay.

But the man is a serial entrepreneur, if there ever was one. Other sister companies include Anne of Green Gables Chocolates, BOOMburger and Moo Moo BBQ Grilled Cheesery, among other ventures.

In the 2022 Cheese & Butter Competition at The Royal, there were 195 entries submitted by producers across Canada. Judging took place June 10. Complete results are posted at https://www.assistexpo.ca/results/rawf/5/

Support for the competition was provided by the Presenting Partner, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, which has made over $30,000 in prize money available, as well as Metro which supports the competition and presents the Champions Showcase during The Fair.

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair celebrates 100 years of world-class equine and agricultural excellence on November 4-13, 2022, at Exhibition Place in Toronto. It is the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show.

The Royal draws more than 300,000 visitors to Toronto annually to see thousands of unique entries from elite Canadian and international breeders, growers and exhibitors, more than 4,500 large and small animals, shows, activities, shopping, dining and—of course—The Royal Horse Show.

Come and experience The Royal, there’s truly something for the entire family. Click here for information and tickets.

 

 

 

 

Cheese & Butter Competition, Fromagerie du Presbytère, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Fromagerie du Presbytère twice champion at Royal Cheese & Butter Competition

No Comments
Cheesemaker Jean Morin with award-winning Louis d’Or at Fromagerie du Presbytère.

Cheesemaker Jean Morin and his équipe at Fromagerie du Presbytère in Ste-Elizabeth-de-Warwick, Québec, dominated the 2022 Canadian Cheese & Butter Competition presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario at the 100th anniversary Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

Louis d’Or 18 mois and Treizième Apôtre were crowned Grand Champions in two sections of the competition, in Cow Milk and in Goat, Sheep, Water Buffalo and Mixed Milk, respectively. Additionally, four cheeses from Presbytère were named class champions.

Quite the haul in the oldest and biggest cheese and butter competition in Canada with 195 entries submitted by producers across the land. Judging took place June 10. The Fair runs November 4-13 at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

Cows Creamery Extra Old Cheddar was named Grand Champion Cheddar.

Gay Lea Grass-Fed Salted Butter was crowned Grand Champion Butter.

More than $33,000 in prize money was provided by Dairy Farmers of Ontario, the Presenting Partner. The Champions Showcase at The Fair is presented by Metro.

Complete results are posted at https://www.assistexpo.ca/results/rawf/5/

Here are the 2022 Grand Champions and class winners:

Cows Creamery Extra Old Cheddar: Grand Champion Cheddar.

CHEDDAR CHEESE

  • Grand Champion, any milk
  • Cows Creamery Extra Old Cheddar
  • Cows Creamery, Charlottetown, P.E.I.
  • Cheesemaker Armand Bernard
  • Silver Trier Award, cow milk cheddars
  • Cows Creamery, Charlottetown, P.E.I.
  • Cheesemaker Armand Bernard
  • Mild Cheddar, up to 3 months
  • L’Ancêtre Organic Mild Cheddar
  • Fromagerie L’Ancêtre, Bécancour, Québec
  • Medium Cheddar, 4 to 9 months
  • L’Ancêtre Organic Medium Cheddar
  • Fromagerie L’Ancêtre, Bécancour, Québec
  • Aged Cheddar, 2 years or older
  • Perron Millésimé 2015 Vintage
  • Fromagerie Perron, Saint Prime, Québec
Louis d’Or 18 mois: Grand Champion in the cow milk section.

COW MILK CHEESE

Treizieme Apotre: Grand Champion in the goat-sheep-water-buffalo-mixed milk section.

GOAT, SHEEP, WATER BUFFALO & MIXED MILK CHEESE

  • Grand Champion
  • Treizième Apôtre
  • Fromagerie du Presbytère, Ste-Elizabeth-de-Warwick, Québec
  • Cheesemaker Jean Morin
  •  
  • Fresh Unripened Cheese, Flavoured
  • Beet Horseradish Chevre
  • Cross Wind Farm, Keene, Ontario
  • Cheesemaker Cindy Hope
  • Pasta Filata
  • Bella Casara Buffalo Mozzarella
  • Quality Cheese, Vaughan, Ontario
  • Soft Bloomy Rind
  • Le Sabot de Blanchette
  • Fromagerie La Suisse Normande, St-Roch-Ouest, Québec
  • Cheesemaker Fabienne Mathieu
  • Interior Ripened
  • Blyth’s Eweda
  • Blyth Farm Cheese, Blyth, Ontario
  • Cheesemaker Paul Van Dorp
  • Surface Ripened
  • Treizième Apôtre
  • Fromagerie du Presbytère, Ste-Elizabeth-de-Warwick, Québec
  • Cheesemaker Jean Morin
  • Feta or Feta Style, Natural
  • River’s Edge Feta
  • River’s Edge Goat Dairy, Arthur, Ontario
  • Cheesemaker Katie Normet
  • Feta or Feta Style, Flavoured
  • Sundried Tomato & Basil Feta
  • Cross Wind Farm, Keene, Ontario
  • Cheesemaker Cindy Hope
  • Cheese with Grilling Properties
  • Grillou Fines Herbes
  • Fromagerie Nouvelle France, Racine, Québec
  • Cheesemaker Marie-Chantal Houde
  • Open Class
  • Le Verdict d’Alexina
  • Fromagerie Le Détour, Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac, Québec
  • Cheesemaker Mario Quirion
Gay Lea Grass-Fed Salted Butter: Grand Champion Butter.

BUTTER

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair celebrates 100 years of world-class equine and agricultural excellence on November 4-13, 2022.

Since its inception in November 1922, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair has become the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show.

The Royal draws more than 300,000 visitors to Toronto annually to see thousands of unique entries from elite Canadian and international breeders, growers and exhibitors, more than 4,500 large and small animals, shows, activities, shopping, dining and—of course—The Royal Horse Show.

Come and experience The Royal, there’s truly something for the entire family. Click here for information and tickets.

 

Cheese & Butter Competition, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

$33,000 in prize money at oldest cheese competition in Canada

No Comments

Attention, Canadian cheesemakers!

Entries are open for the 2022 Canadian Cheese & Butter Competition presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario at the 100th anniversary Royal Agricultural Winter Fair with more than $33,000 in prize money provided by Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

It’s the oldest cheese and butter competition in Canada dating back 100 years to 1922 when the Fair was first held at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

Entry deadline is June 1. Judging for the competition takes place June 10 with winners announced soon after.

The competition is open to Canadian cheese made with all milks—cow, goat, sheep, water buffalo and mixed—by producers in all provinces.

Click to read and download the 2022 competition book with rules and regulations in English.

Cliquez pour lire et télécharger le livret du concours 2022 avec le réglementation en français.

Judges for the prestigious competition are selected on the basis of their knowledge, understanding and appreciation of cheese. The Jury is evenly divided between judges strong on technical aspects of cheese and those strong on aesthetics.

Technical Judges: Art Hill, Kelsie Parsons, Barry Reid, Cecilia Smith,  Heather Thelwell.

Aesthetic Judges: André Derrick, Erin Harris, Andrew Moulton, Martin Raymond, Sue Riedl.

Judging Facilitator: Connie Smith. Competition Superintendents: Debbie Levy and Lisa McAlpine.

Presenting Sponsor of the Cheese & Butter Competition: Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

Evaluation of cheese will be based on the following:

  • Aroma
  • Flavours
  • Texture and Body
  • Appearance and Rind Development
    (if rind is appropriate to the cheese)

In the 2021 competition, the Grand Champions were:

Grand Champion in Cow Milk: Miranda, Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser, Noyan, Quebec, Cheesemaker Fritz Kaiser;

Grand Champion in Goat, Sheep, Water Buffalo and mixed milk: Fuoco, Fromagerie Fuoco, St. Lin Laurentides, Québec, Cheesemaker Jason Fuoco;

Grand Champion Cheddar and Ontario Champion Cheddar: Balderson Medium Cheddar, Lactalis Canada, Chesterville, Ontario;

Grand Champion Butter: Lactantia Cultured Salted Butter, Lactalis Canada, Chesterville, Ontario.

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair celebrates 100 years of world class Equine and Agricultural excellence on November 4-13, 2022.

Since its inception in November 1922, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair has become the world’s largest combined agricultural and equestrian show.

The Royal draws more than 300,000 visitors to Toronto annually to see thousands of unique entries from elite Canadian and international breeders, growers and exhibitors, more than 4,500 large and small animals, shows, activities, shopping, dining and—of course—The Royal Horse Show.

Come and experience The Royal, there’s truly something for the entire family. Click here for information and tickets.

 

Cheese & Butter Competition, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Maple Dale Extra Old Cheddar double champion at The Royal

No Comments

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.

Grand Champion Cheddar and Ontario Champion Cheddar

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.

Grand Champion Variety Cheese—Cow Milk

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.

Grand Champion Variety Cheese—Goat, Sheep. Water Buffalo & Mixed Milk

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.

Grand Champion Butter

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:

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.

Cheese & Butter Competition, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Cheese and butter finalists for 2020 named by The Royal

No Comments

NEWS RELEASE

Cheese and butter from across Canada have been sampled and evaluated, scores have been tabulated and, now, the finalists in the 2020 Cheese & Butter Competition at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair can be announced.

A jury of expert judges sampled and scored the 164 entries received from producers in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and Alberta on the basis of appearance, aroma, flavour and texture, with flavour being the key element.

Here are the finalists in the Cheddar Cheese Section which attracted 35 entries:

Mild Cheddar – up to 3 months

Medium Cheddar – 4 to 9 months

Extra Old Cheddar – 12 to 24 months

  • COWS CREAMERY Aged 1 Year Cheddar Cheese
  • COWS Inc.
  • Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
  • COWS CREAMERY Extra Old Cheddar
  • COWS Inc.
  • Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
  • Maple Dale Naturally Aged Old Cheddar Cheese
  • Maple Dale Cheese
  • Plainfield, Ontario

Aged Cheddar – 2 years and older

  • Balderson 3 Year Old Cheddar
  • Lactalis Canada
  • Winchester, Ontario
  • COWS CREAMERY Aged 2 Years Cheddar Cheese
  • COWS Inc.
  • Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
  • Maple Dale Naturally Aged Extra Old Cheddar Cheese
  • Maple Dale Cheese
  • Plainfield, Ontario

Cheddar – goat, sheep, water buffalo

Here are the finalists in the Variety Cheese (Cow milk) Section which attracted 72 entries:

Fresh Unripened Cheese – Natural

Fresh Pasta Filata

Cheese with Grilling Properties

Soft Cheese with Bloomy Rind

Soft Cheese with Bloomy Rind – Triple Crème

  • Albert’s Leap Bel Haven Triple Crème Brie Cheese
  • Quality Cheese
  • Woodbridge, Ontario

Soft Cheese – Mixed or Washed Rind

Semi-soft Interior Ripened

Semi-Soft Surface Ripened

Firm and Hard – Interior Ripened

Firm and Hard – Surface Ripened

Brine Cured

Blue Cheese

Flavoured Cheese (except smoked)

Flavoured Cheese (except smoked) with added particulate

Flavoured Cheese – Smoked

Here are the finalists in the Variety Cheese (Goat, Sheep, Water Buffalo and Mixed Milk) Section which attracted 30 entries:=

Fresh Unripened Cheese – Natural

Fresh Unripened Cheese – Flavoured

  • Celebrity Blueberry Vanilla Goat’s Milk Cheese
  • Mariposa Dairy
  • Lindsay, Ontario
  • Celebrity Garlic & Herb Goat’s Milk Cheese
  • Mariposa Dairy
  • Lindsay, Ontario
  • Italian Garlic Blend Artisan Chèvre
  • Cross Wind Farm
  • Keene, Ontario

Pasta Filata (fresh and ripened)

Soft Bloomy Rind

  • Albert’s Leap Bishop Matre Goat Brie
  • Quality Cheese
  • Woodbridge, Ontario

Interior Ripened (except cheddars)

Surface Ripened (washed, natural or brushed rinds)

Flavoured Cheese

Here are the finalists in the Butter and Ghee Section which attracted 27 entries:

Butter Unsalted

Butter Salted

Butter Cultured

  • Lactantia My Country Unsalted Cultured Butter
  • Parmalat Canada
  • Victoriaville, Quebec

Butter Grass Fed or Organic (salted or unsalted)

Butter (flavoured with fruit, vegetable or relish) minimum 75% milk fat

Ghee (natural or flavoured)

Winners in each class and the grand champions—the best of the best—will be announced November 10-14 during The Royal Agricultural Virtual Experience on a new, completely free digital platform accessible by all 24-7. Free registration is required and now is open at http://www.royalfair.org/virtual

Finalists are listed alphabetically by product name in each class. Please note that there was a minimum score to place 1st, 2nd and 3rd. In some cases, if you do not see three finalists, it was either the minimum score was not reached or there were not enough entries.

About The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair:

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show. Now in its 98th year, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair has gone digital and will run November 10-14 at http://www.royalfair.org/virtual

– 30 –

Cheese & Butter Competition, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Canada’s oldest—and only—cheese competition under way at The Royal

No Comments
Judging is about to begin for the 2020 Canadian Cheese & Butter Competition at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

In this year of COVID-19, the 2020 Canadian Cheese & Butter Competition at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is the only such judging and competition in Canada and one of the few such contests in the world this year.

The cheese and butter competition hosted by The Royal is the oldest in Canada, dating back 98 years to 1922 when the Fair was first held at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

Judging this year took place on September 24 with six expert judges sampling and evaluating the 164 cheese and butter entries submitted by producers across Canada.

Judging was live and in-person with masks on except when judges sampled cheese, with plenty of social distancing, temperatures taken at the entrance and hand-sanitizers everywhere.

Once scores have been tabulated and carefully checked, three finalists will be announced in each class.

Winners in each class—there are 33 in all—and the grand champions—the best of the best—will be announced November 10-14 during The Royal Agricultural Virtual Experience on a new, completely free digital platform accessible by all 24-7.

The Royal Agricultural Virtual Experience will be a unique opportunity to experience the very best in Canadian agriculture and food from your laptop, tablet, smart phone or desktop. The Cheese & Butter Competition will be one of several featured presentations at the virtual Fair. Click here for more information and to register.

Here’s the breakdown of entries received from producers in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and Alberta:

  • Cheddar 35 entries
  • Variety Cheese (Cow milk) 72 entries
  • Variety Cheese (Goat, Sheep, Water Buffalo and Mixed Milk) 30 entries
  • Butter 21 entries
  • Ghee 6 entries.

The six judges work in pairs, one technical judge and one aesthetic judge. The technical judge starts with a score of 50 and deduct points for flaws and defects while the aesthetic judge starts with zero and awards points for outstanding characteristics and qualities to a maximum of 50. The two scores are added together to obtain the final score for each entry.

The elements under consideration are appearance, aroma, flavour and texture, with flavour being the key element.

Here are the expert judges for the 2020 competition:

Aesthetic Judge André Derrick.

André Derrick, aesthetic judge, is a master at food and drink synergy. He is a certified fromager, Prud’homme beer sommelier, accredited whisky ambassador and certified expert in the service and sale of scotch. He’s co-founder of the Frontier Whiskey Society. André’s lifelong love of learning has propelled him to sip, gulp and nibble at life from many international experiences, including stints at Fairmont Hotels, The BT Hotel Group, Club Med and Vineland Estates Winery. André graduated from the University of Waterloo with an honours combined degree in Recreation and Business. He also earned a graduate certificate in hospitality and tourism management from Niagara College. André is regional account manager for Krinos Foods Canada.

Aesthetic Judge Marla Krisko.

Marla Krisko, aesthetic judge, started her journey in cheese in 2005 when she discovered the Cheese Education Guild and began to study about cheese which quickly became a passion. As a “graduate fromager” she continued her studies, making cheese at the Three Shepherds Cheese School in Vermont and working at specialty food stores in Toronto and at events like The Great Canadian Cheese Festival. In 2012, with her partner, Lisa McAlpine, Marla bought Cheese Education Guild, the first school in Canada dedicated to cheese appreciation, from retiring founder Kathy Guidi. Since then, she has served as a judge for the Canadian Cheese Awards and The Royal’s Cheese and Butter Competition.

Aesthetic Judge Kelsie Parsons.

Kelsie Parsons, aesthetic judge, is Category Manager for Deli Cheese for the 450 Sobeys and Safeway stores across Canada. He is the chair of the American Cheese Society’s Certification Committee, which runs the Certified Cheese Professional (CCP) Exam and TASTE (sensory evaluation) Test. Kelsie has worked as a cheesemonger at farmers markets, specialty shops, and grocery stores. He is a Certified Cheese Professional, earned his Cheesemaking Certificate at the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese, and has worked as a cheesemaker producing a variety of sheep and goat milk cheeses. He has visited more than 100 cheese companies during an epic cross-Canada road trip.

Technical Judge Barry Reid.

 

Barry Reid, one of the technical judges, was born into a cheesemaking family. His father was a cheesemaker for 30+ years, Barry was, too, for 15 years. For many years following, Barry was a full-time dairy inspector with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency based out of Belleville Ontario. For the past 35 years, Barry has judged cheese competitions.

Technical Judge Cecilia Smith.

Cecilia Smith, a technical judge, is a professional fromager, certified as a Professional Fromager by George Brown College and the American Cheese Society. She teaches the Professional Fromager Certificate at George Brown College and the Cheese Sensory Evaluation course at Conestoga College. Based in Uxbridge, Ontario, Cecilia owns a retail company that sells Ontario artisan cheese. She has provided consulting services to many restaurants and cheese shops and has used her sensory evaluation skills to assist craft breweries and cidermakers.

Technical Judge Heather Thelwell.

Heather Thelwell, technical judge, says her curiosity and passion for cheese began 25 years ago while living up the hill from a Parmigiano-Reggiano aging facility in the Po River Valley in Northern Italy. Since then, she has worked as a cheesemaker in predominately small ruminant dairies in Ontario, a cheesemonger and a cheese educator. Her credentials include Certified Cheese Maker, University of Guelph, Technical Production of Cheese; University of Vermont, Artisan Cheese Maker Certificate; School of Artisan Food, Wellbeck, Nottinghamshire, in the U.K.

Behind the scenes at the competition, we find:

Lisa McAlpine is one of two Superintendents for the Cheese and Butter Competition. In 2012, Lisa purchased the Cheese Education Guild/Artisan Cheese Marketing from its retiring founder, Kathy Guidi. Since then, she has been involved in teaching cheese knowledge and appreciation classes to deli employees of large retail chains across Canada, to food professionals and enthusiasts and working for the dairy industry as a cheese consultant.

Debbie Levy is the other Superintendent of the Cheese and Butter Competition. She is a graduate of the Chef Training and Baking and Pastry Arts programs at George Brown College, the inaugural Cheese Education Guild class in 2006 and two certificate programs with Acadamie Opus Caseus in France. Since then, Debbie has worked with the dairy and cheese industry promoting fine Canadian cheese.

Roxanne Renwick is in her third year as Judging Facilitator for the Cheese and Butter Competition. She obtained her Professional Fromager Certificate at George Brown College and has spent the last 10 years in the food retail and cheese industry.

Lindsay Bebbington, Manager, Agriculture & Food at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, served as the entry registrar and lead tabulator of scores for the Cheese and Butter Competition.

A big shout out goes to Dairy Farmers of Ontario and Metro for helping make the 2020 Cheese and Butter Competition happen.

We’ll post information about the finalists in each of 33 classes in the competition as soon as it becomes available.

As noted earlier, winners in each class and the grand champions will be announced November 10-14 during The Royal Agricultural Virtual Experience on a new, completely free digital platform accessible by all 24-7.

The Cheese & Butter Competition will be one of several featured presentations at the virtual Fair. Click here for more information and to register.

I was delighted to serve as co-host with Katie Brown when the judging was filmed. The result, including announcement winners and grand champions, will be part of digital presentations online during The Royal Agricultural Virtual Experience.

—Georgs Kolesnikovs

Georgs Kolesnikovs, Cheese-Head-in-Chief at CheeseLover.ca, has never met a cheese he didn’t like . . . well, hardly ever.