Congratulations to Shep Ysselstein for bringing his dream to life with the grand opening of Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese near Woodstock, Ontario, this Saturday. Cheese lovers are invited to the open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Video: Is this cheesy enough for you?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTrG7mpb61U&w=560&h=315]
Welcome to Video Wednesday at CheeseLover.ca! This week’s clip was produced by Yeo Valley Organic, an organic dairy farm in the U.K. Enough said. Watch the vid.
Looking forward to Bra, and a long ways back to Oka
On the eve of departure for Italy and Cheese 2011 at Bra—the most important cheese festival in Europe—I’m meditating on an extraordinary washed-rind cheese made by Trappist monks in Manitoba. As you can see, there’s only a small wedge left of the cheese made according to the recipe once used by Trappist at Oka Abbey to make Oka—quite possibly the most famous Canadian cheese of all.
The cheese from Our Lady of the Prairies Abbey is saltier, earthier, with a depth of flavours not found in the Oka manufactured today by Agropur, the largest dairy co-operative in Canada, which acquired the name from the Trappist monks in 1996, 10 years before they sold the monastery.
But the Trappists never sold the actual recipe—or a notebook full of notes, observations and how-to instructions dating back to 1893, the year Oka was first made in the monastery on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River between Ottawa and Montréal. That notebook now is in the possession of Brother Albéric, the 72-year-old monk who is the master cheesemaker at the monastery in Holland, Manitoba.
I remember full well my first taste of Oka at Oka almost 50 years ago. Somehow, I, a Lutheran, ended up in the guest house of the most Roman Catholic of monastic orders the week after dropping out of university. On my first morning at Oka, I found myself is a small dining room with a few other guests at a large table. In the center was what looked like a large platter of big chunks of pineapple.
Pineapple? It didn’t seem right to me, so, despite the rule of silence, I whispered to the man next to me, “Qu’est-ce que c’est?” To which he replied in one hushed word: “Fromage.”
“Ah, cheese, I can go for that, ” I said to myself as I reached for a considerable chunk and popped it into my waiting mouth. Epiphany is the only way to describe what I tasted. In a word, it was divine.
And so it came to pass that my lifelong passion for artisan cheese was ignited . . . which has lead me to this evening, looking forward to Bra—and looking a long ways back to that morning in Oka.
—Georgs Kolesnikovs
Georgs Kolesnikovs, cheese-head-in chief at CheeseLover.ca, serves of director of The Great Canadian Cheese Festival. Of course, there isn’t a snowball’s chance in purgatory of getting Brother Albéric to the 2012 Festival, but hope and faith spring eternal.
Fifth Town won’t be the same Fifth Town without Petra
Petra Kassun-Mutch, a dynamic force in Ontario artisan cheese, is stepping down today as president of Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, the award-winning company she founded seven years ago. She remains a 50% shareholder of the Prince Edward County-based business.
Two years ago, in an editorial feature in Best Health, a Reader Digest online magazine, Kassun-Mutch was quoted as saying about Shawn Cooper, her husband at the time and owner of the other 50% stake in the business, “I bounce ideas off him, but he doesn’t play an operational role. We’d kill each other if he did.”
Last Friday, in a statement to friends of Fifth Town, Kassun-Mutch wrote, “As many of you know, my husband and I separated over 20 months ago. And sadly our personal lives and dynamic were beginning to affect Fifth Town in a negative way. We are both directors and shareholders. Equal decision makers. And as a consequence of irreconcilable differences resulting in a deadlock regarding the best way to move forward with Fifth Town, I have decided that Fifth Town will be best served by transitioning the company into new hands entirely.”
Cooper remains the sole director of Fifth Town. Christine Legein has been hired as interim president, effective today.
Legein was vice-president of CCC Investment Banking, a mid-market Canadian investment bank with a specialization in the food processing industry. Legein has almost 30 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. Prior to her career in financial advisory and investment banking, Christine served in different executive roles in corporate development and operations at such market leaders as Ault Foods and John Labatt.
Cooper has retained CCC Investment Banking to evaluate the company’s strategic options to leverage Fifth Town’s cheesemaking expertise and brand in order to drive the next phase of its growth.
In her statement, Kassun-Mutch said, “As you can imagine, the idea of moving (Fifth Town) into new hands is very difficult for me as this company is my life’s best professional work thus far. While I realize that new ownership and investment will be good for FT, our staff and farmers in the long run, I am too close and to vested in its original vision and the direction I had set for this enterprise to continue on as the president during this review and change process.”
But Kassun-Mutch, 49, has no plans to slow down:
“Fifth Town, for me, was not just about cheese. It was also a wonderful opportunity to apply what I had learned so far in life and business to the design and launch of a brand new, forward looking, social purpose enterprise with an emphasis on sustainability. So, while Fifth Town has been the centre of my professional life over the past seven years, I plan to continue to develop my strong interest in social purpose enterprise design and management because I believe that achieving social goals while generating a reasonable return for investors are entirely possible—and perhaps even necessary.”
Kassun-Mutch was a key player in the founding of the Ontario Cheese Society and currently serves as interim chair of the recently formed Canadian Cheese Society. She told the society’s board that she now plans to be fully involved in its development as a voice for cheesemakers coast to coast.
Fifth Town Artisan Cheese describes itself as an environmentally and socially responsible enterprise positioned as a niche producer of fine handmade cheeses using fresh, locally produced goat and sheep milk. The product development processes reflect the spirit of the Fifth Town brand which aims to integrate traditional methods and craftsmanship ethics with local terroir. Situated on 20 acres of agricultural land on the eastern ridge of Prince Edward County, the 4,200-square-foot Fifth Town dairy processing, retail and educational facility enhances the practice of artisan cheese making with advanced sustainable design. The project aims to be Platinum accredited under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
Fifth Town was founded by Petra Kassun-Mutch in 2004. After several years in design and development, construction began 2007 and the dairy opened June 2008 with then only five employees and three farms as suppliers. Since then, Fifth Town has grown to more than 16 employees with seven farm suppliers, and generates $1.5M in revenues annually.
The company was designed by Kassun-Mutch from the outset as a social purpose enterprise with governing values focused on leadership in sustainable enterprise management, local community contributions, and the triple bottom line. About 93% of the money spent to make, market and distribute its products stayed in the community.
Fifth Town has won more than 35 prestigious national and international awards including Grand Champion on several occasions for its unique cave-aged goat, sheep and cow milk cheeses. It took five of the 21 awards given to Ontario dairies at the recent American Cheese Society competition in Montreal.
In 2009, Fifth Town received the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation. It is Canada’s only Platinum LEED manufacturing facility and the only Platinum LEED dairy in the world. It has also received many awards for a variety of other initiatives including sustainable enterprise management, marketing, innovation, and architecture.
Fifth Town is Canada’s 8th B Corporation and achieved highest score at time of certification.
Here’s the link to How Cheese Saved My Life, the fascinating feature on Kassun-Mutch in Best Health quoted above. See also:
- Twitter: @ladychangeUP
- Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/petrakassun_mutch
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/petrakassun_mutch
- Blog on social enterprise: www.zugunruhe.ca
Canadian winners at American Cheese Society
Canadian cheesemakers did remarkably well at the 2011 American Cheese Society Conference and Competition in Montreal this week, winning close to one-quarter of ribbons up for grabs. Best of all, Mariposa Dairy with Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar and Fromagerie du Presbytère with Louis d’Or won Best of Show honors.
BEST OF SHOW
Rogue Creamery, OR
Rogue River Blue
BEST OF SHOW 2nd PLACE (TIE)
Mariposa Dairy, ON
Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar
Carr Valley Cheese, WI
Cave Aged Marisa
BEST OF SHOW 3rd PLACE
Fromagerie Du Presbytère, QC
Louis d’Or
HERE ARE ALL 69 CANADIAN RECIPIENTS OF RIBBONS BY CATEGORY
B. SOFT RIPENED CHEESES
White surface mold ripened cheeses – Brie, Camembert, Coulommiers, etc.
BA: Open Category made from cow’s milk
1st Agropur Fine Cheese, QC
Rondoux Double Crème
2nd Domaine Feodal, QC
Inspire
3rd Domaine Feodal, QC
Cendre des Priés
BB: Brie made from cow’s milk
1st Brazos Valley Cheese, TX
Eden
2nd Brazos Valley Cheese, TX
Brie
3rd La Maison Alexis de Portneuf, QC
Brie de Portneuf Double Crème
BC: Camembert made from cow’s milk
1st No Award Given
2nd Old Europe Cheese, Inc., MI
Camembert Fermier
3rd Alemar Cheese Company, MN
Bent River Camembert – Style Cheese
3rd Upper Canada Cheese, ON
Comfort Cream
BG: Open Category made from goat’s milk
1st Fromagerie Le Détour, QC
Grey Owl
2nd Damafro, QC
La Bûchette
3rd Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy, CO
Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy Camembert
BS: Open Category made from sheep’s or mixed milks
1st Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser, QC
Le Soeur Angele
2nd Les Bergeries du Fjord, QC
Le Blanche du Fjord
2nd Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, NY
Hudson Valley Camembert Square
3rd Marin French Cheese Co, CA
Melange Brie
BF: Flavor Added – spices, herbs, seasoning, fruits, etc.
1st Marin French Cheese Co, CA
Peppercorn Brie – Garlic
2nd Agropur Fine Cheese, QC
Chevalier Fines Herbs
3rd Old Europe Cheese, Inc., MI
Brie with Herbs
BT: Triple Crème – soft ripened / cream added – all milks
1st Agropur Fine Cheese, QC
Rondoux Triple Crème
2nd Old Europe Cheese, Inc., MI
Brie Triple Créme
3rd Agropur Fine Cheese, QC
Chevalier Triple Crème
CC: Original Recipe / Open Category made from cow’s milk
1st Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, CA
Point Reyes Toma
2nd Cowgirl Creamery, CA
Mt. Tam
3rd Les Fromages de l’île d’Orléans, QC
Le Paillasson de l’isle d’Orléans
D. AMERICAN MADE / INTERNATIONAL STYLE
Cheeses modeled after or based on recipes for established European or other international types or styles – Beaufort, Abondance, Gruyère, Juustoleipa, Caerphilly, English Territorials, Leyden, Butterkäse, Monastery styles, etc.
DD: Dutch style – all milks (Gouda, Edam etc.)
1st Glengarry Fine Cheese, ON
Lankaaster Aged
2nd Oakdale Cheese & Specialties, CA
Gouda
3rd Edelweiss Creamery, WI
Gouda Cellar Aged Grass Based
3rd Old Europe Cheese, Inc., MI
Edam Ball
DC: Open Category made from cow’s milk
1st Eagle Mountain Farmhouse Cheese Co., TX
Birdville Reserve
2nd Monforte Dairy, ON
Abondance
3rd Hahn’s End, ME
Petit Poulet
3rd Sartori Company, WI
Sartori Reserve BellaVitano Gold
DE: Emmental style made from cow’s milk with eye formation (Swiss, Baby Swiss, Blocks, Wheels etc.)
1st No Award Given
2nd Agropur Fine Cheese, QC
OKA L’Artisan
3rd Farmers Cooperative Dairy, NL
Farmers Swiss
DG: Open Category made from goat’s milk
1st Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser, QC
Tomme Haut Richelieu
2nd Baetje Farms LLC., MO
Sainte Genevieve
2nd Consider Bardwell Farm, VT
Manchester
3rd Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy, CO
Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy Queso De Mano
DS: Open Category made from sheep’s milk or mixed milks
1st Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI
Caso Bolo Mellage
2nd Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, ON
Fellowship
2nd Tumalo Farms, OR
Rimrocker
3rd Sartori Company, WI
Sartori Limited Edition Pastorale Blend
E. CHEDDARS
All Cheddars – all milks
EA: Aged Cheddar, all milks (aged between 12 and 24 months)
1st Milton Creamery LLC, IA
Prairie Breeze
2nd Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, ON
Premium Goat Cheddar, 12 to 24 months
3rd Kraft Foods, WI
Aged Extra Sharp Cheddar
EG: Cheddar from goat’s milk, aged less than 12 months
1st Central Coast Creamery, CA
Goat Cheddar
2nd Meyenberg Goat Milk Products, CA
Meyenberg Valley Goat Cheddar
3rd Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, ON
Premium Goat Cheddar, <12 months
3rd Mt. Sterling Co-Op Creamery, WI
Sterling Reserve / Raw Goat Milk Cave Aged Cheddar
EX: Mature Cheddar aged between 25 and 48 months
1st Agropur Fine Cheese, QC
Agropur Grand Cheddar aged 3 years
2nd Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, WA
Four Year Flagship
3rd Cabot Creamery Cooperative, VT
Cabot Vintage Choice Cheddar
3rd Tillamook County Creamery Association, OR
Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar
EE: Mature Cheddar aged longer than 48 months
1st Agropur Fine Cheese, QC
Agropur Grand Cheddar aged 5 years
2nd DCI Cheese Company, WI
Black Diamond 5 Year Cheddar
3rd Fromagerie Perron, QC
Doyen
EW: Cheddar wrapped in cloth, linen, aged up to 12 months
1st Cows Creamery, PEI
Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar Aged Up To 12 Months
2nd Bleu Mont Dairy, WI
Bandaged Cheddar – Wrapped and Aged up to 12 Months
3rd Avalanche Cheese Co., CO
Hand Bandaged Goat Cheddar
3rd Brazos Valley Cheese, TX
Cheddar
EB: Cheddar wrapped in cloth, linen, aged over 12 months
1st Mariposa Dairy, ON
Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar
2nd Bleu Mont Dairy, WI
Bandaged Cheddar – Wrapped and Aged Over 12 Months
3rd Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, WA
Flagship Reserve
F. BLUE MOLD CHEESES
All cheeses ripened with Roqueforti or Glaucum Penicillium (Excluded: Colorless Mycelia)
FK: Blue-veined made from cow’s milk with a rind or external coating
1st Rogue Creamery, OR
Rogue River Blue
2nd Spring Day Creamery, ME
Spring Day Blues
3rd Glengarry Fine Cheese, ON
Celtic Blue
FM: Blue-veined made from sheep’s or mixed milk with a rind or external coating
1st La Maison d’affinage Maurice Dufour, QC
Le Bleu de Brebis de Charlevoix
2nd La Moutonniere, QC
Bleu La Moutonnière
3rd Valley Shepherd Creamery, NJ
Crema De Blue
H. ITALIAN TYPE CHEESES
Excluded: Mascarpone and Ricotta
HP: Pasta Filata types – Provolone, Caciocavallo – all milks
1st Saputo Dairy Products, QC
Provolone
2nd Sorrento Lactalis, ID
Whole Milk Low Moisture Pasta Filata
3rd BelGioioso Cheese Inc., WI
Sharp Provolone Mandarino
HY: Fresh Mozzarella – 8 oz. or more (Balls or Shapes) – all milks
1st BelGioioso Cheese Inc., WI
Fresh Mozzarella Thermoform
2nd Calabro Cheese, CT
Fior Di Latte
2nd Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, CA
Fresh Mozzarella
3rd International Cheese, ON
Santa Lucia Buffalo Mozzarella
I. FETA CHEESES
IC: Feta made from cow’s milk
1st No Award Given
2nd Karoun Dairies Inc., CA
Basket Feta
3rd Parmalat Canada, ON
Black Diamond Feta
IG: Feta made from goat’s milk
1st Karoun Dairies Inc., CA
Basket Goat Feta
2nd Shepherds Dairy Products, UT
Fine Feta-Plain
3rd Goat’s Pride Dairy at McLennan Creek, BC
Feta
3rd Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery, VT
Vermont Feta
3rd Willow Moon Farm, VT
Feta
IS: Feta made from sheep’s milk or mixed milks
1st Hidden Springs Creamery, WI
Farmstead Feta
2nd La Moutonniere, QC
Feta
3rd Meadowood Farms, NY
Meadowood Farms Sheep’s Milk Feta
IF: Flavor added – spices, herbs, seasoning, fruits – all milks
1st Klondike Cheese Co., WI
Tomato & Basil Feta
2nd Neighborly Farms of Vermont, VT
Organic Pepper Feta
3rd Goat’s Pride Dairy at McLennan Creek, BC
Cranberry Caprabella
3rd La Moutonniere, QC
Feta with Herbs
J. LOW FAT / LOW SALT CHEESES
JL: Fat Free and Low Fat cheeses
1st No Award Given
2nd Fromagerie Le Détour, QC
La Dame du Lac
3rd Fromagerie Bergeron, QC
6% Pourcent
JR: Light/Lite and Reduced Fat cheeses
1st Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser, QC
Empereur Light
2nd Cabot Creamery Cooperative, VT
Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar
3rd Tillamook County Creamery Association, OR
Tillamook Reduced Fat Monterey Jack
K. FLAVORED CHEESES
Entries are limited to cheeses not included in categories with “Flavor Added” subcategories
KC: Cheeses flavored with all peppers (chipotle, jalapeno, chili, etc.) – all milks
1st No Award Given
2nd Damafro, QC
Les Bouchées Saveur Mexicaine
3rd Brunkow Cheese of Wisconsin, WI
Brun-uusto with Jalapeno
KP: Cheeses flavored with crushed or whole peppercorns or savory spices – all milks
1st Sartori Company, WI
Sartori Reserve Black Pepper BellaVitano
2nd Fromagerie Bergeron, QC
Coureur des Bois
3rd Formaggio Italian Cheese Specialties, LLC, NY
Prosciutto Roll
KH: Flavor Added Havarti – spices, herbs, seasonings, fruits – all milks
1st No Award Given
2nd Klondike Cheese Co., WI
Dill Havarti
3rd Agropur Fine Cheese, QC
Havarti Jalapeno
3rd Edelweiss Creamery, WI
Onion Havarti
L. SMOKED CHEESES
LD: Smoked Cheddars
1st Parmalat Canada, ON
Balderson Double Smoked Cheddar
2nd Gold Creek Farms, UT
Smoked Cheddar
3rd Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, WA
Smoked Flagship
M. FARMSTEAD CHEESES
Limited to cheeses and fermented milk products made with milk from herds on the farm where the cheeses are produced
MA: Open Category for all milks – Soft (Aged up to 60 days – over 50% moisture)
1st Doe Run Dairy, PA
Hummingbird
2nd Fromagerie Au Gré Des Champs, QC
Le Pont-Blanc
3rd Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, LLC, WI
Petit Frere Reserve
ME: Open Category cow’s milk cheeses – Hard (Aged over 60 days – Less than 39% moisture)
1st Fromagerie Du Presbytère, QC
Louis d’Or
2nd Farms For City Kids Foundation, VT
Tarentaise
3rd Shatto Milk Company, MO
Gouda
MG: Open Category Goat’s Milk Cheeses aged over 60 days
1st Tumalo Farms, OR
Classico
2nd Chèvrerie Fruit d’une Passion, QC
Tomme des Joyeux Fromagers
2nd Yellow Springs Farm LLC, PA
Fieldstone
3rd Capriole, IN
Mont St. Francis
MF: Open Category for all Cheeses with Flavorings Added – all milks
1st Ruggles Hill Creamery, MA
Lea’s Great Meadow
2nd Valley Shepherd Creamery, NJ
Pepato Shepherd
3rd Coach Farm, NY
Coach Farm Fresh Goat Cheese Log with Dill
3rd Fromagerie La Station, QC
Raclette de Compton au Poivre
N. FRESH GOAT’S MILK CHEESES
NO: Fresh Goat Rindless (black ash coating permitted, extruded or in containers, cups, tubs, cryovac)
1st Laura Chenel’s Chevre, CA
Laura Chenel’s
2nd Montchevre-Betin, INC., WI
Crumbled Goat Cheese
3rd Mariposa Dairy, ON
Celebrity International Goat Cheese Original
3rd Woolwich Dairy, ON
Woolwich Dairy Chevrai Original
NP: Flavor Added – Peppers / Spice
1st Baetje Farms LLC., MO
Coeur de la Crème Three Pepper
2nd Mariposa Dairy, ON
Celebrity International Chevre Pesto
3rd Baetje Farms LLC., MO
Coeur de la Crème Garlic and Chives
O. FRESH SHEEP’S MILK CHEESES
Open to all shapes and styles of rindless, unaged, fresh sheep’s milk cheeses
OO: Open Category
1st Les Fromages du Verger, QC
Le Louché
2nd La Moutonniere, QC
Cabanon
3rd Shepherd’s Way Farms, MN
Shepherd’s Hope Original
P. MARINATED CHEESES
Entries include cheeses marinated in oil, vinegar, wine, etc.
PG: Open Category made from goat’s milk marinated in liquids and ingredients
1st Laura Chenel’s Chevre, CA
Laura Chenel’s Cabecou
2nd Happy Days Dairies, BC
Goat Cheese Balls in Herb and Oil 100g
3rd Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI
Sweet Vanilla Cardona
Q. CULTURED MILK PRODUCTS
Limited to Yogurt, Crème Fraiche, Kefir, Labne, etc.
QG: Cultured products made from goat’s milk
1st No Award Given
2nd Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, Inc., CA
Traditional Plain Kefir
3rd Happy Days Dairies, BC
Goat Milk Kefir 500ML
QY: Yogurts, Plain – made from cow’s milk with NO additional ingredients
1st No Award Given
2nd Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, Inc., CA
Lactose Free Lowfat Plain Yogurt
3rd Beurrerie du Patrimoine, QC
Plain Cow Yogurt
QD: Yogurts, Plain – made from goat’s milk with NO additional ingredients
1st Sierra Nevada Cheese, CA
Capretta Goat Yogurt Rich & Creamy, Plain
2nd Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, Inc., CA
Plain Yogurt
3rd Beurrerie du Patrimoine, QC
Plain Goat Yogurt
3rd Coach Farm, NY
Coach Farm Goat Milk Yogurt, Plain
QE: Yogurts, Plain – made from sheep’s milk with NO additional ingredients
1st Best Baa Dairy, ON
Sheepmilk Yogourt
2nd La Moutonniere, QC
Royogourt
3rd Appleton Creamery, ME
Yogurt
3rd Valley Shepherd Creamery, NJ
Ewegurt
R. BUTTERS
Whey Butter, Salted Butter, Sweet Butter, Cultured Butter, etc.
RC: Salted Butter made from cow’s milk with or without cultures
1st Fromagerie L’Ancêtre, QC
L’Ancêtre Organic Salted Butter
2nd Parmalat Canada, ON
Lactantia Salted Butter
3rd Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery, VT
Vermont Cultured Butter – lightly salted
RO: Unsalted Butter made from cow’s milk with or without cultures
1st No Award Given
2nd CROPP Cooperative/ Organic Valley, WI
Organic European Style Cultured Butter
2nd Parmalat Canada, ON
Lactantia Unsalted Butter
3rd Cabot Creamery Cooperative, MA
Cabot Unsalted Butter
S. CHEESE SPREADS
Spreads produced by grinding and mixing, without the aid of heat and/or emulsifying salts, one or more natural cheeses
SA: Open Category made from all milks – Spreads with flavors using a base with moisture higher than 44%
1st Kraft Foods, NY
Garden Vegetable Spread
2nd Kraft Foods, NY
Spinach Artichoke Spread
3rd Happy Days Dairies, BC
Probiotic Goat Cheese Spread 280G
T. AGED SHEEP’S MILK CHEESES
Caciotta, Romano, Manchego, Table Cheeses, etc.
TO: Open Category
1st Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI
Cave Aged Marisa
2nd Fromagerie Nouvelle France, QC
Zacharie Cloutier
2nd Hidden Springs Creamery, WI
Ocooch Reserve
3rd Lark’s Meadow Farms, ID
Dulcinea Extra Reserve
U. AGED GOAT’S MILK CHEESES
Taupinière, Rinded Log and Pyramid Types, etc.
UG: Open Category
1st LaClare Farms Specialties LLC, WI
Evalon
2nd Chèvrerie du Buckland, QC
Tomme du Maréchal
3rd Appleton Creamery, ME
Chevre Wrapped in Brandied Grape Leaf
V. WASHED RIND CHEESES
Cheeses with a rind or crust washed in salted brine, whey, beer, wine, other alcohol, or grape lees that exhibit an obvious, smeared or sticky rind and/or crust – Limburger, Pont l’Evêque, Chimay, Raclette, Swiss Appenzeller or Vignerons-style, etc.
VC: Open Category made from cow’s milk
1st La fromagerie 1860 DuVillage, QC
La Tentation de Laurier
2nd Agropur Fine Cheese, QC
Champfleury
3rd Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, ON
Rose Haus
3rd Upper Canada Cheese, ON
Niagara Gold
VG: Open Category made from goat’s milk
1st Baetje Farms LLC., MO
Fleur de la Vallee
2nd Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI
River Bend Goat
3rd Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, ON
Cape Vessey
VS: Open Category made from sheep’s milk or mixed milks
1st La Maison d’affinage Maurice Dufour, QC
La Tomme d’Elles
2nd Best Baa Dairy, ON
Mouton Rouge
2nd Hidden Springs Creamery, WI
Ocooch
3rd Hidden Springs Creamery, WI
Meadow Melody
Congratulations to all Canadian winners! They are shown below in alphabetical order with a summary of their winnings which accounted for 22.5 percent of ribbons awarded.
Agropur Fine Cheese
First-place ribbons – 4
Second-place ribbons – 3
Third-place ribbons – 2
Best Baa Dairy
First-place ribbons – 1
Second-place ribbons – 1
Beurrerie du Patrimoine
Third-place ribbons – 2
Chèvrerie du Buckland
Second-place ribbons – 1
Chèvrerie Fruit d’une Passion
Second-place ribbons – 1
Cows Creamery
First-place ribbons – 1
Damafro
Second-place ribbons – 2
Domaine Feodal
Second-place ribbons – 1
Third-place ribbons – 1
Farmers Cooperative Dairy
Third-place ribbons – 1
Fifth Town Artisan Cheese
Second-place ribbons – 2
Third-place ribbons – 3
Fromagerie Au Gré Des Champs
Second-place ribbons – 1
Fromagerie Bergeron
Second-place ribbons – 1
Third-place ribbons – 1
Fromagerie Du Presbytère
Best of Show – 3rd place
First-place ribbons – 1
Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser
First-place ribbons – 3
Fromagerie L’Ancêtre
First-place ribbons – 1
Fromagerie La Station
Third-place ribbons – 1
Fromagerie Le Détour
First-place ribbons – 1
Second-place ribbons – 1
Fromagerie Nouvelle France
Second-place ribbons – 1
Fromagerie Perron
Third-place ribbons – 1
Glengarry Fine Cheese
First-place ribbons – 1
Third-place ribbons – 1
Goat’s Pride Dairy at McLennan Creek
Third-place ribbons – 2
Happy Days Dairies
Second-place ribbons – 1
Third-place ribbons – 2
International Cheese
Third-place ribbons – 1
La fromagerie 1860 DuVillage
First-place ribbons – 1
La Maison Alexis de Portneuf
Third-place ribbons – 1
La Maison d’affinage Maurice Dufour
First-place ribbons – 2
La Moutonniere
Second-place ribbons – 4
Third-place ribbons – 1
Les Bergeries du Fjord
Second-place ribbons – 1
Les Fromages de l’île d’Orléans
Third-place ribbons – 1
Les Fromages du Verger
First-place ribbons – 1
Mariposa Dairy
Best of Show – 2rd place
First-place ribbons – 1
Second-place ribbons – 1
Third-place ribbons – 1
Monforte Dairy
Second-place ribbons – 1
Parmalat Canada
First-place ribbons – 1
Second-place ribbons – 2
Third-place ribbons – 1
Rogue Creamery
Best of Show
Saputo Dairy Products
First-place ribbons – 1
Upper Canada Cheese
Third-place ribbons – 2
Woolwich Dairy
Third-place ribbons – 1
For additional photos from ACS 2011 in Montreal, click here.
Heads and heels over cheese at cheese-rolling championship
Chasing a giant wheel of Canadian cheese down Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, British Columbia, is how 165 enthusiastic competitors spent last Sunday afternoon during the annual Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Canada.
The two Grand Champions each went home with an 11-pound wheel of Canadian cheese and a Whistler season’s ski pass for two.
The male Grand Champion, Guy McLintock of Vancouver, British Columbia, won the men’s race in a time of nine seconds and the female Grand Champion, Lorraine Phan of Richmond, British Columbia, won the women’s race in a time of 19 seconds. In addition to the men’s and women’s downhill races, 139 children participated in uphill races.
“This festival, which is now the most unique one held worldwide, attracts families, contestants and spectators from across Canada and all for the love of cheese. The number of people participating in the races, attending the festival and sampling some of Canada’s great cheeses exceeded our expectations,” said Solange Heiss, assistant director, marketing and nutrition communications, Dairy Farmers of Canada. “Dairy Farmers of Canada is proud to sponsor the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival for the fourth year and shine the spotlight on the high-quality cheese produced in this country from coast to coast.”
More than 12,500 spectators took in a host of fun activities including Cheese Twister, free cheese seminars and a cheese market full of delicious samples of Canadian cheese made from 100% Canadian milk.
Renowned Canadian and award-winning stand-up comic, improviser, actor and writer from Western Canada, Roman Danylo, hosted the days’ festivities, which involved 11 race heats before the final Grand Championship races.
For the fourth consecutive year, Brisitsh Columbia cheesemaker Natural Pastures produced the special 11-pound wheels of delicious Cracked Pepper Verdelait for the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival. Verdelait is the delicious, award-winning blend of cheddar, Dutch gouda and Swiss raclette, developed by Natural Pastures in Courtenay on Vancouver Island. Verdelait is the base for the five flavoured cheeses. Versatile and wonderful for cooking, grating, fondues, sandwiches, it melts beautifully.
Michael Blackie has a ball with feta and elk at Cooks/Curds
A unique feta and elk dish created by Chef Michael Blackie expressly for The Great Canadian Cheese Festival was voted the most popular dish by close to 400 guests at Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala, the social and gastronomic highlight of the Festival.
Chef Blackie, head of cuisine at National Arts Centre in Ottawa, named his creation Clarmell Feta Cheese Pistachio Crusted Sphere with Pulled Lip Sticky Chipotle-Saskatoonberry Elk.
Plainly put, Chef Blackie, using two kinds of rice flour, made a crusted ball with goat feta from Clarmell Farms and served it on a bed of pulled elk.
In reality, a fusion of flavours—rice, pistachio, olives, chipotle, brown sugar, honey, carrots, celery, onion and garlic—powered the dish to People’s Choice honours, with a scattering of Saskatoon berries providing a lovely Canadian finish.
Paired with a fruity, silky St. Laurent 2007 from Prince Edward County’s Harwood Estate Vineyards, Chef Blackie’s creation was a standout among standouts at the Gala in historic Crystal Palace. See the menu below.
Michael Blackie’s name is widely known because of his prestigious position at the National Arts Centre, but what is Clarmell Feta?
Clarmell Farms is a fifth-generation dairy farm on the Rideau River in Manotick, within Ottawa’s city limits, that moved from cow’s milk into goat’s milk two years ago. The Clarmell Farms feta and chevre are made with single-herd milk by Margaret Morris-Peters at nearby Glengarry Cheesemaking and Dairy Supply.
Quantities are limited, so buy it when you can at the farm’s store, open Mondays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 3401 River Road (within Ottawa’s city limits) or at Nicastro’s Food Emporium, 1558 Merivale Road, and Manotick Village Butcher, 2-5556 Manotick Main Street.
Chef Blackie was born in Leicestershire, England, and raised in Montreal. Following his apprenticeship, he worked as chef with Jamie Kennedy at the Founders Club, a private food establishment at Toronto’s SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre).
Chef Blackie also held positions as sous-chef at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle; Executive Chef at the Pierre Marques in Mexico; executive sous-chef at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong, which was voted “Best Hotel in Hong Kong” by Asiamoney Magazine and won both the “Gold List Award” and “Best Hotel in Asia” awards by Condé Nast; and executive chef at the Oberoi in Bali, Indonesia-a five-star hotel that was given the highest overall score in the “Leading Hotels of the World” Quality Awards.
Chef Blackie visited Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau in 2008 as guest chef on the “Canadian Asian Cuisine Tour,” and was a host chef on the “Exposing Canadian Cuisine” tour to Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Zurich, sponsored by Ontario Tourism and Air Canada. In 2007, he won the Silver Medal in the Canadian Culinary Championship in Whistler, B.C., and prior to taking the helm at National Arts Centre two years ago, Chef Blackie was the culinary mastermind behind Perspectives Restaurant at the Brookstreet resort in Kanata, one of Canada’s top restaurants.
Click to view larger image of the Cooks & Curds menu.
The Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival was co-ordinated by the singular Ivy Knight.
Photo of the People’s Choice winner by If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On. Read the review of Cooks & Curds.
Great Canadian Cheese Festival sponsors and producers
Canadian cheesemakers represented:
| BRITISH COLUMBIA |
| Salt Spring Island Cheese |
| Poplar Grove Cheese |
| MANITOBA |
| Bothwell Cheese |
| PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND |
| Cows Creamery |
| QUEBEC |
| Fromagerie Blackburn |
| Fromagerie du Presbytère |
| Fromagerie Île-aux-Grues |
| Fromagerie La Station |
| Fromagerie Le Détour |
| Fromagerie Médard |
| Fromagerie Nouvelle France |
| La Fromagerie Du Champ à la meule |
| La Moutonnière |
| Laiterie Charlevoix |
| Le Fromage au Village |
| Les Bergeries du Fjord |
| Les Fromagiers de la Table Ronde |
| Maison d’Affinage Maurice Dufour |
| ONTARIO |
| Best Baa Dairy |
| Black River Cheese |
| Empire Cheese & Butter |
| Fifth Town Artisan Cheese |
| Glengarry Fine Cheese |
| Mariposa Dairy |
| Primeridge Pure |
| Quality Cheese |
| Union Cheese Factory |
| Upper Canada Cheese |
Prince Edward County wineries:
| Harwood Estates Vineyard & Winery |
| Rosehall Run Vineyards |
| Lacey Estates Vineyard & Winery |
| Sandbanks Estate Winery |
| The Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards and Estate Winery |
| Keint-he Winery & Vineyards |
| Karlo Estates |
| Redtail Vineyard |
| Huff Estates Winery |
| Closson Chase Vineyards |
| Casa Dea Estates Winery |
| Waupoos Estate Winery |
| Stanners Vineyard |
| Sugarbush Vineyards |
Ontario craft brewers:
| Mill Street Brewery |
| Beau’s All Natural Brewing |
| Barley Days Brewery |
| Grand River Brewery |
| Creemore Springs Brewery |
Local artisan food producers:
| Major Craig’s Chutney |
| Sprucewood Handmade Cookie |
| Henderson Farms |
| Mercury Chocolates |
| Scottish Accents |
| Evelyn’s Crackers |
| Queenies Bake Shop |
First Great Canadian Cheese Festival a huge success
More than 2,000 cheese lovers enjoyed the first-ever Great Canadian Cheese Festival last weekend, assuring the event will become an annual fixture on the Canadian cheese calendar.
Total attendance was an amazing 2,246, with the Artisan Cheese & Fine Food Fair drawing 1,607 cheese fans from as far as New Zealand. (OK, the Kiwis were visiting family in Ottawa.) The Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala, with close to 400 guests, was a sell-out. The Cheese-Tasting Seminars were at capacity. The Cheese Tours sold out two weeks earlier.
Many exhibitors reported selling more cheese during the five-hour Fair than in any other five hours in their experience. One Quebec prominent cheesemaker reserved booth space for the next 10 years. All eight chefs asked to be invited back for the Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala.
June 1-3 are the dates for 2012, again at historic Crystal Palace in Picton, in the heart of Prince Edward County, Ontario’s fastest-growing culinary destination and Canada’s newest VQA wine region.
All photos courtesy of CountyLive.ca, the home page for residents of Prince Edward County.
Cooks and Curds sold out! Tasting Seminars and Cheese Fair still available
With a dessert menu like this, small wonder Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival has fully sold out.
Tickets are still available for All-Day Cheese-Tasting Seminars on Saturday and the Artisan Cheese & Fine Food Fair on Sunday.
Here’s what’s still available in seminars. Because the full range of topics no longer is available, the All-Day Seminar admission price has been reduced to $100.
SATURDAY, JUNE 4: ALL CHEESE, ALL DAY
Keynote Presentation: 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
An introduction to what arguably are the best cheeses made in Canada today—from cow’s milk, goat’s milk and sheep’s milk. Taste the three cheeses, meet the makers, start the day on a high.
Tasting Seminars, First Session, 10:15 to 11:30 a.m.
Canadian Cheddar: A Vertical Tasting
A great way to entertain, vertical tasting means tasting the same cheese at various ages, from as young as possible to well-aged. Tasting different cheddars in this manner will introduce your taste buds to the amazing range of flavours to be found in Canada’s favourite cheese.
Presenter: Deborah Levy of Dairy Farmers of Canada, cheese educatorLunch: 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
A healthy buffet lunch for All-Day Seminar Pass holders by Waring House in Picton.
Tasting Seminars, Second Session: 1:00 to 2:15 p.m.
Battle of the Blues
Marvel at the different taste sensations delivered by a cross-section of blue cheeses made in Canada, from Tiger Blue in British Columbia to Dragon’s Breath in Nova Scotia with several stops in Ontario and Quebec.
Presenter: Andy Shay of AndyShay.com, cheese consultant and cheese buyer at Sobeys OntarioWine or Beer with Cheese: How Does One Decide?
Presenter: Andrew Laliberté of Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, chef and sommelierTasting Seminars, Third Session: 2:45 to 4:00 p.m.
Europe’s Cheese Classics
Roquefort, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gruyere and others, why are they still the yardsticks by which all cheese is measured? How close are North American cheesemakers to catching up? Taste a selection of classics.
Presenter: Gurth Pretty, cheese guru and author of The Definitive Guide to Canadian Artisanal & Fine CheeseArtisanal Cheese Defined and Defended
Why integrity of ingredients matter. Why turning milk into cheese is a craft. Why the bond between and farmer is important, and worth preserving. What’s with MMIs? A selection of artisan cheeses for tasting.
Presenter: Ruth Klahsen of Monforte Dairy, cheesemakerInvest in Cheese/Getting started in cheesemaking
For cheese lovers interested in getting into the business of cheese.
Presenter: Andy Shay of AndyShay.com, cheese consultant and cheese buyer at Sobeys Ontario
All-Day Tasting Program includes one adult admission to full day of cheese talk and cheese tasting, Saturday, June 4, including a Festival tote bag, a buffet lunch, the keynote presentation and one seminar in each of three sessions. In most seminars, the cheese will be paired with wine, beer or cider. FREE parking