There are many reasons the Island is a wonderful place to live and, if you love cheese, you can add that to the list. We have some of the best cheese producers in Canada and today I'll let you know who they are. Their cheeses are available at fine food shops and delis, farm markets, many grocery stores and their own retail shops. For more detailed information on the dozens of cheeses they collectively make, visit the websites noted below.
Hilary's Artisan Cheese (Pictured)
Hilary and Patty Abbott founded Hilary's Cheese in the Cowichan Valley in 2001. They source quality cow and goat's milk from area farmers. With that milk, and working in small batches, they use artisan techniques to make a deluxe array of cheese. Some of those include fromage à la crème, Valley Blue, St. Clair, a Brie/Camembert-style cheese, and Belle Ann, a washed rind cheese featuring Cherry Point Vineyard dessert wine. The Abbotts operate a retail store in Cowichan Bay called Hilary's Cheese and Deli, where they sell their cheeses, hearty sandwiches, soups and other goodies. The couple also has a shop in Victoria, 1034 Fort St. To learn more about Hilary's Artisan Cheese, visit hilarycheese.com.
Little Qualicum Cheeseworks
In 1999, after living in Switzerland a number of years, Clarke and Nancy Gourlay returned to Vancouver Island, motivated to make magnificent cheeses like those they had enjoyed in Europe. They thoroughly studied the practice and by 2001 were making cheese. They now operate Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and Morningstar Farm in the Parksville/Qualicum Beach area. They use the milk from their small herd of Holstein, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss and Canadienne dairy cows to make 16 types of splendid cheese, such as Brie, Caerphilly, fromage frais and Bleu Claire. The Gourlays want to ensure you their cows are happy. Morningstar Farm is the first dairy farm in B.C. to be certified by the SPCA. The cheese shop they operate on the farm, 403 Lowry's Rd., Parksville, is open seven days a week. For directions and store hours, and for more information about the company, go to cheeseworks.ca.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Times Colonist