90 2 : K o o t e n a y P h o t o C o .
B C B U S I N E S S . C A
J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 24
BACK TO THE OLD RIND
We double dairy you to resist these B.C.-based
cheesemakers and mongers (don't worry, vegans,
there's a slice for you, too)
by Alyssa Hirose
I N V E N T O R Y
5. Udder
Brothers
Vancouver-based
Benton Brothers
Fine Cheese was
founded by Jonah
and Andrew Benton
in 2007, after both
made a pivot away
from a life devoted to
mechanical engi-
neering. It's a bit of
a cheesy story, sure,
but the pair's passion
for the product has
placed them solidly in
one of the province's
most iconic artisan
spots: their shop in
the bustling Granville
Island Public Market
serves over 200
varieties of raw-milk
cheese. bentons
cheese.com
2. Pasture Party
Agassiz-based
Creekside Cheese +
Creamery hosts an
annual event called
"Moo Let the Cows
Out." Need we say
more? Founders
Johannes and Julaine
Treur welcome over
500 guests in the
spring to behold the
cinematic joy of cows
going out to pasture.
Work hard, frolic hard:
the brown Swiss cows
(and the Creekside
team) have earned
accolades at Toronto's
Royal Agricultural
Winter Fair and a 2024
Business Excellence
Award from the
Chilliwack Chamber
of Commerce. Their
cheeses lean European
classic: think gruyere,
raclette, reblochon
and morbier. creek-
sidecreamery.ca
4. Cashew Cow
Spread'em Kitchen
started at a farmers
market in 2014, and
people went nuts for
the non-dairy cashew
"cheeze" maker. "We
would literally do cash
deals in Starbucks
parking lots because
people couldn't wait
a week until the next
farmers market,"
founder Mellisa Mills
remembers. Now, the
company's Richmond
manufacturing facility
supplies products like
applewood smoked
cashew cheeze and
beet and balsamic
cashew dip to more
than 2,500 stores
in Canada—and
they've expanded
into the U.S. this year.
spreademkitchen
.com
1. Better with Age
If you were hanging
around Maple Ridge
in 1902, you probably
knew Jenna Bock
and Emma Davison's
relatives—the sisters
are part of a family
that's been dairy
farming locally for five
generations. Bock
and Davison founded
their own production
facility, Golden Ears
Cheesecrafters,
in 2011. Cheeses
like smoked gouda
and maple havarti
are available for
purchase online and
at the restaurant (yes,
there's grilled cheese
on the menu), and
they also host events
like beer fests and
weddings too... any
cheese-loving couples
want to get dairy-ed?
cheesecrafters.ca
3. Slice of Life
Little Qualicum
Cheeseworks has
an open (barn) door
policy—the public can
visit this Parksville-
based dairy farm
year-round. "We invite
everyone to come to
the farm and see our
processes, learn about
how we farm and
why, meet the cows
and get a glimpse
into the cheesemak-
ing process," says
co-owner Chelsea
Enns. She and Albert
Gorter bought the biz
in 2021, but it's been
around since 2001.
Besides offering tours
and cheese (watch
out Jack, there's a
Monterey Jill) the
farm also has a café
and an on-tap milk
dispenser—bring your
own container and fill
up. cheeseworks.ca
6. In Good
Formaggio
Luigi Ornaghi is the
big cheese at Tanto
Latte, the Salmon
Arm-based factory
handmaking Italian
soft cheeses out of
milk from Okanagan
cows. The company
was established in
2018 (it's a relatively
fresh face on the dairy
scene, but Ornaghi
was already a pro with
20 years of experience
in the hospitality in-
dustry). Tanto Latte's
bocconcini, burrata
and provolone are
treats for the home
cook— or, if you're less
kitchen-inclined, you
can grab some Tanto
Latte ricotta cheese
dumplings at the in-
shop café called Chef
Hans Comfort Foods.
tantolattecheese
.ca
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