Curds & Whey Festival, Vancouver BC :: Nov 17-18, 2007

The Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver, BC will be holding its 3rd annual Curds & Whey Festival on Nov. 17-18th. This is the last of the six West Coast Cheese festivals of the year (see the complete list here). Featured artisan cheesemakers at the event will include Moonstruck Organic Cheeses, Salt Spring Island Cheese Co., Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and Jerseyland Organics. Chef Stephen Wong will also be giving cooking demonstrations throughout the day. While you're there, I also recommend stopping at the Edible British Columbia store which has a great selection of products (including cheese) made exclusively in the province.

Down here in the US part of the Pacific Northwest we don't have the chance to enjoy a lot of artisan cheese from British Columbia. The Canadian licensing system is a two tiered scheme that allows cheesemakers to either make and sell cheese solely on a provincial level, or acquire a more complicated 'federal' license that allows them to sell across Canada and/or export outside the country. The upshot is that this is a great opportunity for US folks to sample cheeses that we otherwise wouldn't have access to outside of Canada. I especially recommend Moonstruck Organic Cheeses (absolutely amazing blue cheeses made from Jersey cow's milk) and Salt Spring Island Cheese Co.  products (check out their fresh chevres as well as their aged Montana) - both are making some of the best cheeses in the entire Northwest.

For more info (in English and French) or for directions to the Granville Island Market, see the website here.

Comments

[Allison Swanson]

I am looking for fresh curds in Victoria area or even anywhere on Vancouver Island. Do you know where I may purchase some? I know the Dutchman Dairy in Sicamous makes wonderful curds. Whenever I am up that way I buy lots. It would sure be nice to find curds locally.

Thanks,

[PNWCheese]

both Natural Pastures and Little Qualicum (artisan cheesemakers on Vancouver Island) make cheese curds, though I don't know how widely they distribute their curds - they spoil quickly and are expensive to package so sometimes cheesemakers will sell them only on site (like D Dutchmen).

Thrifty Foods has a good artisan cheese selection and may have some...you might also call either company and see where they're available. Also, you could ask at Ottavio Deli in Victoria, which has a good selection of cheese.