Guelph, Ont. – Louis d’Or, an Alpine-style cheese made by Jean Morin of Fromagerie du Presbytère in Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick, Que., was named the 2018 Cheese of the Year in the Canadian Cheese Awards.
The Canadian Cheese Awards, which started at University of Guelph, Food Science Department, is the biggest cheese judging and competition in the country, organizers said in a news release.
The competition saw 375 cheeses submitted and awards presented June 6 at a presentation ceremony and tasting gala at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.
Loblaw Companies is Marque Sponsor of Awards while Dairy Farmers of Canada is Principal Partner, Cow Milk Cheese.
Champions were named in 33 categories and featured June 7 at Canadian Cheese Expo for the trade followed by Canada’s first Artisan Cheese Night Market open to the public.
Fifty-six of the 117 nominations went to 22 Quebec cheese producers led by Fromagerie La Station (seven finalists), Laterie Charlevoix (six finalists) and Fromagerie du Presbystere (five finalists).
Sixty-one of the 117 nominations went to 23 producers in English-Canada, led by Cows (12 finalists), Glengarry Fine Cheese (five finalists), and Amalgamated Dairies, Cross Wind Farm and Mountainoak Cheese, with four each.
Canadian Cheese Awards is the only pan-Canadian cheese competition open to all milks used in cheesemaking – cow, goat, sheep and water buffalo – with only pure, natural cheese accepted for judging, the Canadian Cheese Award organizers said. Entrants were not allowed to use artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, or modified milk ingredients.
“We aim to honour and celebrate 100 per cent pure natural cheese that hasachieved technical excellence and exhibits the highest aesthetic qualities,” said Georgs Kolesnikovs, awards chairman.
The biennial Canadian Cheese Awards is produced by Cheese Lover Productions with the support of Loblaw Companies as Marquee Sponsor and Dairy Farmers of Canada as Principal Partner, Cow Milk Cheese.
A sampling of top cheeses:
Cheese of the Year: Louis d’Or – Fromagerie du Presbytère, Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick, Que.
Best Fresh Cheese: Ricotta – Ferrante Cheese, Woodbridge, Ont.
Best Fresh Pasta Filata Cheese: Zerto Fresh Mozzarella – Quality Cheese, Vaughan, Ont.
Best Water Buffalo Milk Cheese: Fuoco – Fromagerie Fuoco, St. Lin-Laurentides, Que.
Best Smoked Cheese: Appletree Smoked Cheddar – Cows Creamery, Charlottetown, P.E.I.
The complete list of winners by categories may be found at the Cheese Awards website.
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