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March 7, 2014
New  awards promote best in Canadian cheeses

Organizers of The Great Canadian Cheese Festival have launched a new, independent competition to select the best cheeses in Canada.
 
According to event organizers, the Canadian Cheese Awards are intended to provide Canadian artisan cheese producers with “a definitive, high-visibility competition” that promotes “the best in cheesemaking coast-to-coast.” It’s hoped the new awards will:
  • promote the best in Canadian cheese for all milk types (cow, goat, sheep and water buffalo),
  • create a recognized symbol of excellence for all Canadian cheese, 
  • offer expert feedback and evaluation to producers who submit entries, and
  • act as a guide for consumers looking to buy quality Canadian cheese.
The competition is open to all federally or provincially licensed cheese producers who use only pure
milk from Canadian cows, goats, sheep or water buffalo. Qualifying cheeses cannot contain any artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and no modified milk ingredients. 

The Canadian Cheese Awards will be held every two years. The first awards ceremony will be held April 7, 2014 at Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market. The awards ceremony will be followed by a cheese tasting for members of the trade and media, and later for the public. Montreal has been chosen as the venue for the 2016 awards, while Vancouver has been selected for the 2018
awards.

A limited number of tickets for the 2014 awards ceremony are expected to go on sale soon. In the meantime, you can add your name to a waitlist for tickets by signing up at www.cheeseawards.ca.

Canada already has a national awards program for cheese made from pure cow's milk. The Canadian Cheese Grand Prix, which is sponsored by the Dairy Farmers of Canada, is also held every two years. The next Canadian Cheese Grand Prix is slated for 2015.

April 20, 2013
Fresh ricotta crowned Canadian Grand Champion

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Quality Cheese Inc.'s Ricotta
A fresh ricotta cheese from Ontario walked away with top honours yesterday at the 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix.
 
The ricotta, made by Quality Cheese Inc. of Vaughan, Ontario, was crowned Grand Champion after being selected by a jury of top food experts. This marks the first time in the history of the Grand Prix that a fresh cheese has been named Grand Champion. It’s also the first time a cheese from Ontario has taken top honours.

Quality Cheese Inc's Ricotta was praised for it's creamy texture and milky aroma. “The  jury found this ricotta refined, delicate and well-balanced,” said Phil Bélanger, Canadian Cheese Grand Prix jury chairman. “It demonstrates that a fresh cheese can be as sophisticated as an aged one.”

The Canadian Cheese Grand Prix is sponsored and hosted every two years by the Dairy Farmers of Canada to celebrate the quality and diversity of Canadian cheese. All eligible cheeses must be produced in Canada, bear the 100% Canadian Milk symbol on their packaging and be available for retail sale. 
  
Quality Cheese Inc. is a manufacturer, distributor and retailer of Italian specialty cheese. Incorporated in 1988, the company operates out of a 20,000-square-foot state-of-the art facility in Vaughan, just north of Toronto. The current management team represents the fourth generation in a family tradition of cheesemaking.

In February, a panel of eight judges gathered in Montreal to nibble their way through 255 cheeses from across the country in their quest to find the best Canadian cow’s milk cheese. After two days of tasting, they produced a shortlist of 58 finalists from 19 categories. The category winners and the Grand Champion were announced yesterday at a gala event in Montreal.

Winners of the 19 cheese categories were:
  1. Fresh Cheese: Ricotta, Quality Cheese Inc., Ontario
  2. Fresh Cheese with grilling: Queso Fresco Cheese, Latin Foods Inc., Alberta 
  3. Soft Cheese with bloomy rind: Le Noble, Fromagerie Domaine Féodal Inc., Quebec 
  4. Semi-soft Cheese: Tre Stelle Feta Cheese, Arla Foods Inc., Ontario 
  5. Washed or mixed rind Cheese (Soft, Semi-soft and Firm): Le Mamirolle, Fromagerie Éco-Délices, Quebec 
  6. Firm Cheese: Gunn's Hill Five Brothers, Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese, Ontario
  7. Gouda: Grizzly Gouda, Sylvan Star Cheese, Alberta
  8. Swiss-type Cheese: Louis D'or 18 months, Fromagerie du Presbytère, Quebec 
  9. Mozzarella (Ball, Brick or Cylinder): Tre Stelle Mozzarella Cheese, Arla Foods Inc., Ontario 
  10. Blue Cheese (various rinds, with or without veining): Bleu d'Élizabeth, Fromagerie du Presbytère, Quebec 
  11. Flavoured Cheese (with added non-particulate flavourings): Applewood Smoked Cheddar, Cows
    Creamery, PEI 
  12. Flavoured Cheese (with added particulate solids and flavourings): Raclette de Compton au poivre, Fromagerie La Station, Quebec
  13. Mild Cheddar (aged 3 months): L'Ancêtre Organic Mild Cheddar, Fromagerie L'Ancêtre, Quebec 
  14. Medium Cheddar (aged 4 to 9 months): Medium Cheddar, Maple Dale Cheese, Ontario
  15. Old Cheddar (aged from 9 months to a year): Cheddar 1 year, Fromagerie Perron, Quebec
  16. Aged Cheddar (more than 1 year up to 3 years): Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar, Cows Creamery, PEI 
  17. Aged Cheddar (more than 3 years): 5 Year Aged Cheddar, The Black River Cheese Company Ltd., Ontario 
  18. Farmhouse Cheese: Grizzly Gouda, Sylvan Star Cheese Ltd., Alberta
  19. Organic Cheese: Bleu d'Élizabeth, Fromagerie du Presbytère, Quebec
 
This was the eighth Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. The next Grand Prix will be held in 2015.

April 4, 2013
VIAC cuts back its educational program

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A Vermont-based research and teaching facility that has helped artisan cheesemakers on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border hone their craft has announced it will soon cut back its educational program. 

Since 2004 the Vermont Institute of Artisan Cheese has – in conjunction with the University of Vermont – offered a wide range of courses and workshops for artisan cheesemakers, including certificate programs in cheesemaking. But VIAC says that demand for their workshops and courses has declined in recent years despite a surge in the number of artisan cheesemaking operations in the U.S. and Canada. 

Starting in May the institute will change direction. It will cut back on its course offerings and, instead, focus on technical consulting services to cheesemakers in Vermont and New England. While VIAC will continue to offer some workshops, going forward faculty and staff will focus on current issues facing the artisan cheese industry, such as food safety, state and federal regulations, and cheese quality.

March 27, 2013
Fifth Town slated to resume production in 2014

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Photo credit: www.fithtown.ca
The new owners of Fifth Town Artisan Cheese have announced plans to re-open the company’s processing facility in Prince Edward County in early 2014 – once the facility has been refurbished and reapproved for production.
 
In the meantime, Fifth Town’s onsite retail store will re-open on May 30, just in time for the Great Canadian Cheese Festival. The store is being re-opened early to help support the company as it transitions to production, according to a recent posting on the company’s website (www.fifthtown.ca). 
 
Fifth Town – once touted as Canada’s only LEED certified dairy – was originally launched in June 2008 by entrepreneur Petra Kassun-Mutch. Over the next few years, the dairy earned numerous awards for its cheeses and sustainable enterprise management. Among its award-winning cheese were Cape Vessey, Bonnie and Floyd, Lighthall Tomme, Wishing Tree and Rose Haus. But despite the popularity of its cheese, the company struggled financially. Kassun-Mutch stepped down as Fifth Town’s president in August 2011 and, in May 2012, the company suspended production and was placed in receivership.

The Fifth Town facility was recently purchased by Patricia Secord and Dr. Hugo Bertozzi, third-generation members of the Bertozzi family – a family that has established itself as producers, affineurs and purveyors of artisan cheese. A. Bertozzi Importing Inc. offers a wide range of products –from
breadsticks to pasta and candies to cheese. 

When it re-opens, the Fifth Town’s onsite store is expected to feature products honouring the new owners’ Italian roots, as well as foods produced in Prince Edward County.

February 27, 2013
Finalists announced for Cheese Grand Prix

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The Dairy Farmers of Canada has announced the finalists for the eighth installment of the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. A panel of top food experts reviewed a record 225 entries to come up with a shortlist of 58 finalists from 19 categories. 
 
Entries were received from cheesemakers across the country – from PEI to British Columbia. Category champions and a Grand Champion will be unveiled at the 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix Gala at Montreal’s Hyatt Regency Hotel on April 18th. 
 
The Canadian Cheese Grand Prix is sponsored and hosted every two years by the Dairy Farmers of Canada to celebrate the quality and diversity of Canadian cheese. All eligible cheeses must be produced in Canada, bear the 100% Canadian Milk symbol on their packaging and be available for retail sale.
 
To view a complete list of the 58 finalists, click here.

February 18, 2013
Cheese Grand Prix nibbles its way toward a winner

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A panel of eight judges gathered in Montreal February 16-17 for the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix judging weekend. The judges nibbled their way through dozens of cheeses in their quest to find the best in Canadian cow’s milk cheese.

The Cheese Grand Prix – which is held every two years – was launched in 1998 by the Dairy Farmers of Canada. As such, it focuses exclusively on cheeses made from 100% Canadian cow’s milk. The event was launched to encourage product excellence and build consumer appreciation for Canadian cheese. Organizers encourage entries from across the country and consider cheese from all categories.

 Finalists in the various categories will be announced on February 26th. The winners will be announced on April 18. The Grand Champion Winner of the 2011 Cheese Grand Prix was Louis D’or, a firm washed-rind cheese made from organic raw milk cheese – produced in Quebec by La Fromagerie du Presbytère. Read more

February 5, 2013
St-Alberts Cooperative set to rebuild after fire

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According to a report in the Ottawa Citizen, owners of the 119-year-old St-Albert Cooperative Cheese Manufacturing Company will rebuild and re-open after fire swept through one of the factory’s older
buildings.

 Firefighters from nine local fire departments battled the blaze, which struck around 9:30 on the morning of February 3. The factory, renowned for its cheddar and curds, is located about 60 kilometres southeast of Ottawa. It’s expected that more than 100 employees will be without work for several months during while the company rebuilds.   

Despite the fire, organizers of the annual St-Albert Curd Festival have said the festival will go on as planned. The 20th annual festival is slated for August 2013. Read more

February 5, 2013  
Cheese a factor in EU trade talks

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According to a report in the Globe and Mail, cheese has become an issue in Canada's efforts to negotiate a trade deal with the European Union. According to the February 5, 2013 article, Canada is unwilling to tear down tariffs that protect dairy industry from foreign competition, but may be ready to allow in more duty-free cheese if Europe agrees to open its markets to Canadian beef and port.  The EU is also demanding that Canadian cheese producers stop using protected European names on their products.  Read more

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If you've got some news about the Canadian cheese industry, send us an email at [email protected]. We'll do our best to follow-up on the story and, if we post a story online, we'll make sure to credit you for the tip.

February 4, 2013
Cheese festival will remain in Picton

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The Great Canadain Cheese Festival will stay put in Picton. A survey of past and future attendees found there is overwhelming support for keeping the event in Picton where it's been hosted since the festival's launch in 2011. 

According to a post on cheeselovers.ca, the festival's official blog, 96% of past attendees said they would return to Picton for another festival, while 90% of these who have never attended said they would venture to Piction to attend the festival in the future. Only 50% of survey respondents said they would attend a festival in Toronto, 35% in Ottawa, and 28% in Montreal.  

The 2013 festival will be held at Picton's Crystal Palace June 1-2. Read more

January 21, 2013
Conestoga cheesemaking program on hold

An eight-week, hands-on cheesemaking program offered by Conestoga College in conjunction with Monforte Dairy has been
put on hold -- at least for now. The course, which was originally slated to run in February and March of this year has been delayed until 2014, says Ruth Klahsen, owner of Monforte. The course has been delayed to give Neville McNaughton, a cheese expert from the United States and one of the course
instructors, time to arrange a work visa.