Say cheese Atlantic Canada!

Say , Atlantic Canada!

The delicious world of artisanal cheeses

BY ANNE CALDER

ARMADALE FARM DAIRY PRODUCTS Armdale Artisan Cheeses.

Artisanal cheesemaking is a marvel. Handmade in small batches, using traditional craftsmanship, these locally created products add wonderful variety and complexity to an already beloved food. Cheesemaking is a labour of love for the producers, who often begin their days at 4 am and work well into the night.

The Atlantic provinces boast some of the finest artisanal cheeses in Canada. Here’s a sampling of what to look for in your travels. Armadale Artisan Cheeses, Sussex, NB

Established by Dutch immigrants Jozef and Regina Duivenvoorden and now run by their granddaughter Hetty and her husband Ian, Armadale Artisan Cheeses is renowned for its goudas, fetas and quark. Gouda flavours range from cumin, onion, smoked, garlic, paprika, herb, cracked black petter, to peppercorn hoop, Acadian, Cajun and caraway.

Their feta is made with cow’s milk, which gives it a milder but traditional salty taste. Armadale also produces Italian-style cheese, cheddar, Havarti and parmesan.

Fromagerie au Fond des Bois, Rexton, NB

In 2012, Belgium immigrant Didier Laurent purchased Fromagerie au Fond des Bois from its original owners in 2012. He was briefly trained, then left to his own devices to care

for a newly inherited goat herd of Nubians, Alpines and Saanens. Laurent produces 40 goat milk products including Acadiac, a ripened cheese; Tomme, a small, round cheese; and Pelerin, the creamery’s artisanal blue goat cheese.

Laurent has plans to produce several cow’s milk cheeses in 2022 and become federally licensed to sell across Canada. and Les Fils d’Arcadie, made with beer from local distillery Fils du Roy.

The fromagerie also produces cheese curds, cream cheese and salted twists called Tortillon.

Glasgow Glen.

HEATHER OGG

Fromagerie les Blancs d’Arcadie, Caraquet, NB

Alberte Doiron took over Fromagerie les Blancs d’Arcadie—famous for its cheddars— in 2004. Her sons Bertin and Jean-Yves now run the dairy and source cows’ milk from local producers. Popular cheddar flavours include Emerillon, fine herbs, pesto, marble, orange Glasgow Glen Artisan Cheese, New Glasgow, PEI

Jeff McCourt developed an interest in artisanal cheesemaking when PEI’s gouda “cheeselady,” Marina ter Beek, contemplated retirement after 25 years in the business.

McCourt apprenticed with ter Beek before opening Glasgow Glen Farm in 2014.

Glasgow Glen produces popular artisanal gouda cheeses in flavours such as caraway, smoked, peppercorn, beer, pizza and “bluda”—a blue gouda.

Fromagerie PEI, Mont-Carmel, PEI

Mathieu Gallant founded Fromagerie PEI in 2016 after studying cheesemaking in Paris, and sources milk from local dairy farms in the Evangeline region of the island.

The fromagerie is famous for its “Squeak-ies Cheese Curds.”

An avid environmentalist, Gallant utilizes a biomass heat source for cheesemaking, allowing him to work toward his goal of carbon neutrality.

Roma Cheese Ltd, Hants County, NS

Roma Cheese Ltd. produces authentic artisanal Italian cheese. Owner Ciro Comencini began making cheese in Italy at the age of six and now lives on his Woodland, Hants County farm with his wife and six children.

Comencini produces artisanal asiago,

Granville Green Resurgence

Sundays July 3-August 7, 7pm FREE

Granville Green Bandshell, Port Hawkesbury NS

902-625-2591 granvillegreen.ca

Granville Green 2022 - Resurgence

Following a challenging past two years, Granville Green is back! Each Sunday from July 3 through August 7, we will gather on the Green to enjoy premier musical talents from local and national artists, performing on our outdoor stage. The 2022 lineup of artists promises to bring a dynamic and exciting spin on the classic series while wowing the crowd with jaw dropping hits and a few surprises. With a focus on community emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic, we will share stories of strength, resilience and camaraderie while fi nally coming together to enjoy this incredible series once again.