A butter made by farmer-owned Thornloe Cheese, located just north of New Liskeard, has been declared the best in Canada.
The cheese is available in various North Bay stores and the butter is available at Orchards Market on Trout Lake Road.
Called Temiskaming Valley, the butter is made from the milk of Northern Ontario grass-fed dairy cattle. It won the Grand Champion Award in the butter division during the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, on now in Toronto.
“We are over-the-top thrilled with this accomplishment and proud to bring you the highest graded butter in Canada,” the company wrote on its Facebook page.
Additionally, the company brought home two more accolades: Thornloe’s salted butter earned second place in the Butter Innovation category, while its Casey blue cheese earned second place in the national Blue category.
Located in the Town of Thornloe, between Earlton and Temiskaming Shores, the cheese factory has been in operation for 71 years. More than three million litres of milk pass through the factory annually, which is transformed into the company’s range of cheeses, ice cream, and butter.
"Our verified #grassfed unsalted butter, named "Temiskaming Valley" is a testament to the quality of the milk being supplied by our local Dairy Farmers," the page continued.
Look for additional Royal Agricultural Winter Fair coverage on BayToday next week.
"Grass Fed Butter products in salted and unsalted formats were introduced to the Canadian market by Thornloe Cheese in the summer of 2018, meeting the growing demand for grass-fed dairy products," the company said in an email to BayToday.
"The addition of these new creamery products follows a successful launch of Grass Fed Cheeses in 2017. The company has worked with local farmers who pasture cows when weather permits and feed a grass-based diet for the rest of the year to produce popular butter and cheeses with the health benefits derived from elevated levels of omega- 3 associated with Grass Fed diets.
"The award is shared with the families working the fields and the production team who develop quality products for fellow butter loving Canadians," said Pamela Hamel, Brand Ambassador. "This is an incredible achievement for Thornloe, their farmer-owners, and the Northeastern Ontario farming region."
"Our team embraces the unique agricultural features of the region and have developed a line of nutritious and great tasting Grass Fed products.” states Thornloe Cheese General Manager Rhonda Wood.
Thornloe Cheese Inc. is a wholly farmer-owned, artisanal cheese company located in Thornloe. Their innovative cheesemaking practices have earned them several national awards and a reputation for quality cheese and creamery products for over 75 years.
In 2014, Thornloe Cheese Inc. was awarded the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. Its most popular products include traditional cheddars, poutine curds, fine cheeses and the iconic Blue Cheese named “Devils Rock”.
