Gurth M. Pretty is a passionate Canadian cheese professional.
He is a member of the Toronto Cheese Education Guild Class of 2006, the first class of cheese professionals.
Gurth’s knowledge of cheese was developed during his research for his first book, The Definitive Guide to Canadian Artisanal and Fine Cheese (Whitecap Books 2006), soon followed by The Definitive Canadian Wine and Cheese Cookbook (Whitecap Books 2007), co-authored with writer and wine judge Tony Aspler.
Canadian cheese received more international attention when he was asked to contribute to The World Book of Cheese (DK Books 2009). The book includes his entries on 24 Canadian cheeses.
He has participated as a judge in the following competitions
* Canadian Cheese Grand Prix 2009, 2011 and 2013
* American Cheese Society competitions in 2011, 2018 and 2019.
* Judge at the 2016 and 2018 Canadian Cheese Awards and
* the 2016 and 2020 World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin.
His involvement in the Canadian cheese industry has included the following positions
* Treasurer of the Toronto Cheese Guild
* Board member of the Ontario Cheese Society, and
* President of the Canadian Cheese Society.
In 2018, Gurth was recognized for his efforts by being invited to become a member of La Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, an international association of professional cheesemakers, ripeners, dairy processors and cheese makers. It has over 6,000 members in 33 countries.
From 2011 to 2019, Gurth was the corporate cheese expert and senior specialist – deli cheese, for the Marketplace division of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s largest food retailer.