Canadian Cheese Grand Prix

The Canadian Cheese Grand Prix celebrated its 7^th edition in 2011. This prestigious national competition gives master cheese makers from all over the country the opportunity to show their expertise and passion.

Canadian Cheeses in Competition!

With this competition and the prizes offered, we proudly contribute to the development of the Canadian cheese market and offer continuous support to the dairy industry. Our organization represents approximately 12 965 dairy farmers.

The event's goal is to make Canadian cheeses better known and appreciated by consumers as well as the food industry and hotel and restaurant professionals. It also aims to support cheese makers in their search for excellence and in the development of new products.

The Canadian cheese industry is comprised of 183 processors who produce more than 356 different cheeses, and all are invited to enter their products in the contest. The Canadian Cheese Grand Prix is open to manufacturers of any cheese manufactured in Canada exclusively from 100% Canadian Cow's Milk, Milk- Derived Ingredients from 100% Canadian cow’s milk or both. No imported dairy ingredients are permitted.

Cheeses and Prizes...

Every winner receives a trophy and a certificate. By means of a points system, the jury selects 3 finalists and from these finalists, one winner in each category (from 1 through 18 inclusively).

The "Grand Champion" is chosen among the "Category Champions" taking into account points attributed to each category winner and other weighting factors determined by the jury.

During the Gala of Champions at Toronto’s Palais Royale on April 20th, 2011, the winners were honoured by major players in the industry, and all celebrated the excellent quality and vast range of Canadian cheeses.

A national media relations campaign does not only guarantee a high profile for the winning cheeses, it brings winning cheese makers a coveted visibility on the Canadian stage as well as greater possibility of retail opportunities locally and nationally.

Dairy Farmers of Canada reimburses 50% of the sum invested by the processor of the "Grand Champion" in the promotion of his/her winning product (up to a maximum of $10,000). This amount is paid on presentation of invoices for the total promotional costs incurred for that purpose during the 12-months period following the awards presentation.

The 2011 Cheese Finalists were announced on our website on February 28, 2011.

Outline of the Cheese Industry in Canada: a World Class Industry!

From the point of view of economic activity generated, the Canadian cheese industry is mostly concentrated in Quebec (110 cheese producers) and in Ontario (37 cheese producers); British Columbia and Alberta are third and fourth in importance while Atlantic provinces are gaining considerable growth.

With 46.1% of the total Canadian production of Cheddar and 62.8% of the total production of specialty cheeses, Quebec remains the main cheese producer in the country. The Canadian cheese industry has for a long time attained world class status, notably with its Cheddars which have become the industry benchmark in their category. Establishing themselves on the international market and winning numerous prizes, Canadian cheeses have won Canada a place among the greatest cheese producing countries in the world!

485,610,000 kilos of cheese consumed in Canada

In 2009, the annual cheese consumption in Canada was 12.28 kgs per person (up from 11.58 kgs in 2007) (source: Statistics Canada). Consumers bought about 485,610,000 kgs of Canadian cheese.

Distribution of cheese sales at retail:

36.0%, in Ontario,
27.1%, in Quebec,
17.9%, in the Prairies,
12.5%, in British Columbia,
5.4%, in the Maritimes.

Cheddar was the heavyweight champion at retail, followed by processed cheese and Mozzarella.

In the occasional cheese category, Feta has sold the most, followed by Brie/Camembert, Gouda, Havarti, and Swiss