Take your pick: adrenaline packed or slow and contemplative?
Updated on Dec 14, 2023
AH! The Eastern Townships… A much-sought-after epicurean destination where local producers and locavores are numerous! Discover the area’s cheese producers and, especially their delicious products.
La Station de Compton is a gold mine filled with delicious cheese. Established in the region since 1928, it has been passed down through 4 generations of farmers but has never stopped astonishing cheese amateurs. Its most renowned cheeses, Hatley Road and Alfred Le Fermier, are among the best produced in the Eastern Townships … in fact they are among the best of all of Canada!
Hatley Road is a certified organic firm cheese. As soon as you taste it, you’ll notice the delicious floral, nutty and fruity aromas. It is truly a must in the region! It has also won several provincial, national and worldwide awards such as the 2017 Silver Medal CASEUS Award and the second-place prize at the 2015 World Cheese Awards which was held in England; Quite outstanding!
Alfred Le Fermier was named in honour of the farmer who founded the cheese factory, Alfred Bolduc. It is a cook pressed cheese. Although it gives out woodsy aromas, it leaves a taste of fruit, caramel and honey on our palate. A pure delight! It is, according to the 2018 fine Canadian Cheese Contest and the 2015 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix, the best organic cheese. In fact, it even won the best cheese in the world award, twice rather than once, at the World Cheese Awards… It makes your mouth water, doesn’t it?
In the heart of the impressive Abbey of Saint-Benoît-Du-Lac, is where you’ll find Bleu Bénédictin cheese. This precious delicacy is made by the Abbey’s Benedictine monks. Its texture will melt in your mouth and delight your palate with its woodsy flavour. It becomes even more divine when you combine it with an aromatic and fleshy wine. Your guests will truly love you for it!
The Bleu Bénédictin won the CASEUS 2015 award, in the blue-veined cheese category. It is available in specialized shops and supermarkets, but we suggest you purchase it on the site of the abbey as you take the time to admire this majestic religious heritage site.
The Zacharie Cloutier is the first cheese created by the Fromagerie Nouvelle-France, in 2010, and still causes quite a sensation to this day. It is made with sheep's milk, is aged between 6 and 12 months and offers aromas of butter, caramel and coconut. It won four CASEUS awards the first year it came out. In fact, since then, it has been given a panoply of awards. A true Eastern Townships gourmet treasure!
The Pionnier cheese is the result of a collaborative effort between Fromagerie Nouvelle-France and Fromagerie du Presbytère, located in the Centre-du-Québec region. It is a blend of sheep and cow milk and a passion shared by both owners of these cheese dairies. Its rich aromas of butter and brown sugar are key to winning several awards, among them the 2017 CASEUS Gold Medal. To learn more about the story of how this product was created, just click here.
Bon Appétit !
Check out our cheesemakers circuit Les Têtes Fromagères to discover the Eastern Townships' cheese factories.
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