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Artisan, farmstead and specialty cheese from coast to coast showcased June 2-3 at Crystal Palace in Picton, Ontario
An expanded Great Canadian Cheese Festival returns to historic Crystal Palace in Picton, in the heart of Prince Edward County, on the first weekend in June.
The Cheese Festival is the only event in Canada to bring together cheesemakers from coast-to-coast so cheese lovers, foodies and culinary tourists can meet to learn, talk, taste and buy the best in artisan, farmstead and specialty cheese—and sample fine wine, craft beer and artisan foods.
The Festival’s Artisan Cheese & Fine Food Fair (where consumers can sample and buy product) will run two days this year, Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3. It was one day last year.
More than 100 cheeses, produced by artisans from Vancouver Island to Prince Edward Island, will be available for tasting and purchase. The largest contingent of producers will be from Quebec, Canada’s leading cheese region.
Artisan foods, ranging from chutney to preserves to sausage and sweets, will also be available, as will Ontario fine wines, craft beer and cider.
The culinary and social highlight of the Festival takes place Saturday evening, at the Cooks & Curds Gala, eight leading chefs from across Canada will use Canadian cheeses to create tasting dishes that will be paired with Canadian wine, craft beer and cider. The evening will conclude with sweets, ice wine, port and coffee. Participating chefs will include Jamie Kennedy, Jamie Kennedy Kitchens, Toronto; Michael Blackie, National Arts Centre, Ottawa; Dominic Serio, Inn at Bay Fortune, Prince Edward Island, Marc Cohen, Lawrence, Montreal; and Katie Hayes, Bonavista Social Club, Newfoundland.
At the Cheese Fair on Saturday and Sunday, Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Festival’s top-tier sponsor, will offer seminars presented by leading cheese educator Deborah Levy in the All You Need Is Cheese® Annex. With sampling of cheese, of course!
The Festival Dairy Farm will be open both days to give city folk a look at the animals that start the process of turning grass into milk into cheese. Yvette, the matriarch of the water-buffalo herd at Ontario Water Buffalo Company near Stirling, Ontario, will likely be the star attraction.
Added to the Cheese Fair this year is a food court featuring Cheesewerks of Toronto, Primitive Cuisine of Trenton and Buddha Dog of Picton.
Concurrent with the Cheese Fair, a program of Tutored Tastings will be offered on topics such as Artisan Cheese Tasting 101, Taste of Québec and Best of the West, presented by cheese experts Julia Rogers, Andy Shay, Vanessa Simmons and Janice Beaton and wine expert David Lawrason. A separate ticket is required.
The pre-Festival program on Friday, June 1, features:
- An all-day Cheese Tour of nearby Black River Cheese and Fifth Town Artisan Cheese and other food- and farm-related stops;
- Cooking with Artisan Cheese Class conducted by Cynthia Peters, a personal chef and food writer who owns and operates the acclaimed From the Farm Cooking School in Prince Edward County;
- Great County Dine Around at restaurants featuring cheese-themed dinners. The county is known as the fasting-growing culinary destination in Ontario.
Georgs Kolesnikovs, founder and director of the Festival, maintains the popular cheese blog CheeseLover.ca.
The Festival is produced by Cheese Lover Productions with the generous support of Celebrate Ontario. Dairy Farmers of Canada is Diamond Sponsor, Ontario’s Artisan Food and Beverage Region (FAB) is Gold Sponsor. A portion of Festival proceeds will benefit a Cheese Scholarship Fund to encourage young Canadians to pursue careers in cheese.
Advance tickets are sold online at www.CheeseFestival.ca. In order to assure a high-quality experience for exhibitors and attendees, Cheese Fair attendance will be capped at 1,500 each day, so don’t delay in ordering your tickets.