Quebec’s Belle de Jersey cheese is named in honour of one of the Jersey cows whose milk is used in its production. Known as “Miss Personality” of the herd, Belle (the cow) has been a frequent award winner in agricultural competitions including the Royal Winter Fair. Following the fortune of its namesake, Belle de Jersey, a soft, washed-rind cheese made from raw Jersey milk, has already won silver at the 2009 International Jersey Cheese Awards and this year was thrust onto international palates when it was served as part of the Canadian cheese plate at the G20 summit. Impressive for a fromagerie that only began making cheese in 2007.
Belle de Jersey is made at Les Bergeries du Fjord in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. The farm and fromagerie are co-owned by brothers Claude and Martin Gilbert and Josée Gauthier, Martin’s wife. The milk arrives in the morning from farmer Pierre Girard’s nearby farm. He finishes milking by 7 a.m. and by 7:30 the milk has been delivered to the fromagerie and is being processed into cheese.
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