emplacementEnercare Centre, TORONTO
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Du 9 au 11 mai 2023
 
 
 
Infos exposants Infos visiteurs Infos média

International Cheese Competition

Under the presidency of our cheese expert Gurth M. Pretty, a jury made up of cheese industry professionals will evaluate the best of the best of the 200+ cheeses registerd and award a gold medal to the best cheeses among the 26 selected categories, including the new one: the Artisanal Farmstead Cheese!. A CILQ Special Award for the Certified Quebec Artisanal Farmstead Cheese will also be decerned. The ceremony will take place on the Fromage by SIAL pavilion in front of the media and visitors to the show on May 9, 2023.

This competition is open to cheeses of all types of milk, whether or not they are exhibitors at SIAL Canada. Don’t miss your chance to showcase your cheese!

26 categories | 18 Jury members | 28 medals
Deadline to register: April 10th

Register now Participation Rules

Why participate?

    • An effective market test: a competitive way to have your product tested by a panel of experts but also by the visitors of the show.
    • A showcase: Benefit from visibility in the catalog and website to generate additional traffic to your website and/or booth and maximize your return on investment. Your company name, address, cheese and cheesemaker’s name will be listed on the website.
    • Media coverage: Champions will be awarded “Category Champion” during a dedicated ceremony on the Cheese by SIAL pavilion on May 9, 2023. The ceremony will take place live in front of the trade press and visitors to the show. Your name will be listed in the dedicated press release.

 

  • A targeted sampling: The cheeses designated as Category Champions will be highlighted during tasting workshops for the public on May 9, 2023. Visitors will be able to taste your product during one session. The Overall Champion will be offer to all sessions!
  • A promotional tool: In addition to the medal awarded at the ceremony, the Champions will receive a digital medal that you can promote to your audience.

Grand Champion 2022

Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar
Cows Creamery | Prince Edward Island

 

MédailleA word from Arnaud Bernard, Cheesemaker at Cows Creamery: “When our COWS Creamery Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar won the 2022 Grand Champion prize at the SIAL International Cheese Competition, interest and excitement about our PEI cheddar grew immediately. We were featured in various media, which led to the category manager from a major Canadian grocery banner reaching out to start planning an Avonlea wheel cracking event for their 25 stores. Our sales jumped significantly last year from coast to coast. in large part because of our big win at SIAL.”

Terms and conditions

Qualification criterias

• May be a product already available in the retail or food service sector or new to the market.
• Must be made with milk, without the addition of modified milk ingredients:
cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, or a mixture.
• Must be labeled as cheese and not as a processed cheese food product.

• Cheese to be submitted for judging (minimum of 5lbs to be sent)
– Wheel or
– Block of 5 lbs or more
– Small format cheese: 1 case/box

• No core samples/plugs to be taken from the submitted cheese.
• No alteration allowed

Cheese categories

*A category must have a minimum of 3 eligible cheeses for the category to be judged.

  1. Fresh cheese Cow (i.e. Mozzarella, Queso fresco, Ricotta)
  2. Fresh cheese all milk (i.e Chèvre, Buffalo…)
  3. Soft, bloomy rind cheese (i.e. Brie)
  4. Washed rind cheese (i.e. Port-Salut)
  5. Mixed rind cheese (i.e. La Sauvagine)
  6. Cheddar Cheese aged 3 to 6 months
  7. Cheddar Cheese aged 6 to 12 months
  8. Cheddar Cheese aged more than 12 months
  9. Cheddar Cheese Bandaged
  10. Gouda aged 6 to 12 months
  11. Gouda aged more than 12 months
  12. Swiss style
  13. Cheese in brine (i.e. Feta)
  14. Smoked cheese
  15. Cheese with added physical particulates (herbs, spices…)
  16. Cheese with added non-physical particulates (beer, cider, wine…)
  17. Semi-soft cheese
  18. Firm cheese (i.e Havarti)
  19. Hard cheese (i.e. Parmigiano-Reggiano)
  20. Blue cheese with veinage present
  21. Grilling cheese raclette
  22. Grilling cheese middle eastern style
  23. Ash-coated cheese
  24. Cheese with low fat content
  25. Artisanal farmstead cheese (certification proving that only milk from their farm is used – to be placed in the parcel for the shipment)
  26. New cheese – not yet available in the North American market
2023 rates
  • 85$ CAD +tx per cheese submitted for companies exhibiting at the show
  • 140$ CAD +tx per cheese submitted for non-exhibiting companies

The deadline to apply for the competition is April 6th, 2023

Gurth Pretty

Jury President

Cheese Expert

“The International Cheese Competition by SIAL Canada is an excellent opportunity for all cheesemakers to submit their cheeses for evaluation and feedback by cheese professionals. It is the only cheese competition in Canada where cheeses from all over the world can compete in their respective categories and compete for the title of Grand Champion. In the 2022 edition, I was pleased to announce that Canadian, American, Dutch, Swiss and Italian cheeses won. Personally, all 229 cheeses submitted from ten countries were winners.

Together with the Conseil des industriels laitiers du Québec, we have decided to create the “Artisanal Farmstead Cheese” category this year. This new category will highlight certified cheeses made by dairy producers from their own animals’ milk, whether it be sheep, buffalo, goat or cow. We will be happy to award a medal to the winner who has distinguished himself or herself among all the cheeses that are the result of the passion of men and women who work in the fields, on the farm and in the transformation of their herd’s milk into unique and typical products.”

2023 Partners

Contact us

Maëlle Rey-Maréchal
Marketing and Special Operations Manager
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