Dairy Farmers of Canada announced Fromagerie du Presbytère's Laliberté as the Grand Champion at the ninth edition of the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix Gala of Champions last night. The prestigious winner, which was entered in the cream-enriched soft cheese with bloomy rind category, was selected by a jury of top Canadian food industry experts from 27 impressive category winners.
Sponsored and hosted every two years by Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix celebrates the high quality, versatility and great taste of Canadian cheese made from 100% Canadian milk. “From all the excellent cheeses the jury tasted, we found Laliberté to be the stand-out. This cheese truly distinguished itself in texture, taste and overall appearance. Its exquisite aromatic triple cream with its tender bloomy rind encases an unctuous well balanced flavour with hints of mushroom, pastures and root vegetables,” said Phil Bélanger, Canadian Cheese Grand Prix jury chairman.
Named after Alfred Laliberté, the famous sculptor born in St. Elizabeth de Warwick, QC, the farmstead cheese took a year and a half to develop and is made from 100% Canadian cow’s milk. Fromagerie du Presbytère manufactures, distributes and retails speciality cheeses that are among the best in Canada; their Louis d’Or was notably named Grand Champion at the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix in 2011 and the Fromagerie has won numerous other national and provincial awards.
The Grand Champion and 27 category winners were selected from a record-setting 268 cheese entries submitted by cheese makers from Prince Edward Island to British Columbia. The submissions were then narrowed down to 81 finalists by the jury in February.
Indeed, Canada’s vibrant and unique cheese making craft has evolved to the point that new types of cheese are continually being added to the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. This year, nine new categories were added to the competition, including three individual Gouda categories based on cheese age and a stand-alone category for Smoked Cheese. Canadian Cheese Grand Prix jury members tasted, touched and smelled each cheese, evaluating them for appearance, flavour, colour, texture and body, and salt content before determining the following winners.
GRAND CHAMPION: Laliberté, Fromagerie du Presbytère, QC
The 2015 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix Category Winners are:
| 1. | Fresh Cheese | Ricotta / Bella Casara, Quality Cheese Inc., ON |
| 2. | Fresh Pasta Filata | Cherry Bocconcini, Natural Pastures Cheese Company, BC |
| 3. | Fresh Cheese with Grilling Properties | Le Paillasson de l'isle d'Orléans, Les Fromages de l'isle d'Orléans, QC |
| 4. | Soft Cheese with Bloomy Rind | Comox Brie, Natural Pastures Cheese Company, BC |
| 5. | Cream-Enriched Soft Cheese with Bloomy Rind | Laliberté, Fromagerie du Presbytère, QC |
| 6. | Semi-Soft Cheese | Fleur de Weedon, Fromagerie P'tit Plaisir, QC |
| 7. | Washed- or Mixed-Rind Soft Cheese | L'Origine de Charlevoix, Laiterie Charlevoix Inc., QC |
| 8. | Washed- or Mixed-Rind Semi-Soft Cheese | Raclette, Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser Inc., QC |
| 9. | Washed- or Mixed-Rind Firm Cheese | Alfred Le Fermier 18 months, Fromagerie La Station, QC |
| 10. | Firm Cheese (except Cheddar and Gouda) | Heidi, The Farm House Natural Cheeses, BC |
| 11. | Swiss-Type Cheese | Louis d'Or, Fromagerie du Presbytère, QC |
| 12. | Mozzarella (Ball, Brick or Cylinder) or Pasta Filata | Oaxaca, Local Dairy Products, ON |
| 13. | Brine-Ripened Cheese | Feta Cheese, Tiras Dairies Inc., AB |
| 14. | Gouda (Aged 1 to 6 months) | Gouda Medium, Sylvan Star Cheese Ltd., AB |
| 15. | Aged Gouda | Gouda Aged, Sylvan Star Cheese Ltd., AB |
| 16. | Extra Aged Gouda | Mountainoak Farmstead Premium Dutch Gold, Mountainoak Cheese Ltd., ON |
| 17. | Blue Cheese | Le Bleu d'Élizabeth, Fromagerie du Presbytère, QC |
| 18. | Flavoured Cheese with Added Non-Particulate Flavouring (except smoked cheese) | Griffon Raclette, Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser Inc., QC |
| 19. | Smoked Cheese | Gouda Smoked Natural Cheese, Sylvan Star Cheese Ltd., AB |
| 20. | Flavoured Cheese with Added Particulate Solids and Flavouring | Pepper Raclette, Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser Inc., QC |
| 21. | Mild Cheddar (Aged 3 Months) | L'Ancêtre Organic Mild Cheddar, Fromagerie L'Ancêtre Inc., QC |
| 22. | Medium Cheddar (Aged 4 to 9 Months) | L'Ancêtre Organic Medium Cheddar, Fromagerie L'Ancêtre Inc., QC |
| 23. | Old Cheddar (Aged from 9 Months to a Year) | Traditional Clothbound Cheddar (9 to 12 months), The Farm House Natural Cheeses, BC |
| 24. | Aged Cheddar (1 to 3 Years) | Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar, Cows Creamery, PE |
| 25. | Aged Cheddar (More than 3 Years) | Extra OLD CHEDDAR 5 YEARS, St-Albert Cheese Cooperative Inc., ON |
| 26. | Farmhouse Cheese | Handeck, Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese Ltd., ON |
| 27. | Organic Cheese | Alfred Le Fermier 18 months, Fromagerie La Station, QC |
About the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix
The Canadian Cheese Grand Prix began in 1998 to promote achievement and innovation in cheese making and to increase appreciation for fine quality Canadian cheese. The competition celebrates the proud tradition of the diverse cheeses made in Canada.
All eligible cheeses must be produced in Canada, bear the 100% Canadian Milk symbol on their packaging and be available at retail at the time of judgement.
About Dairy Farmers of Canada
Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) strives to create favourable conditions for the Canadian dairy industry, today and in the future. DFC works to maintain policies that foster the viability of Canadian dairy farms and to promote quality Canadian dairy products made from 100% Canadian milk as part of a healthy balanced diet.
Source: Dairy Farmers of Canada
