Our Cheesemaking Craft and Creamery

Upper Canada Cheese Company opened in 2005 and our first cheese went to market in December 2005. Located in the heart of Niagara wine region and nestled in the village of Jordan Station, our modern creamery is tucked against the rail line, which, in the past was used to transport milk every day.  It's distinctive design was inspired by traditional train stations of yester-year.  Surrounded by vineyards, orchards and strawberry fields, it is a perfect spot to picnic and enjoy your delicious purchases.

The Comfort family farm, the source of our Guernsey cow milk, is only about 15 minutes away on land protected by Ontario's Greenbelt.

Built to the most rigourous food safety standards, our creamery is both a state of the art and small scale artisinal operation, focused completely on producing fine cheeses by hand. Here's how we do it:

By special arrangement, our unique Guernsey milk is delivered to us in the morning by the transporter before they begin their regular route. This way, we are sure to get only pure Guernsey milk from the Comfort Farm. It also means we get up really early to make cheese.

When the milk is received in our storage tank, we begin the ancient art of cheesemaking - which we augment with modern safeguards.

The milk is pumped through a pasteurizer which raises the temperature and ensures that there are no pathogens.  From the pasteurizer, the milk passes directly into a vat in the sanitized production room where the appropriate culture is added.  The milk is brought to temperature, lightly agitated, depending on the recipe, and then drained into large vats. Rennet is mixed into the liquid and the curd is allowed to set. Once set, the curd is cut by hand with large knife-like implements which create cubes.  The curds and whey naturally separate and once the curd is ready, it is transferred gently by hand into the molds.  Residual liquid drains out the bottom of the mould and the cheese gradually settles, taking it's final shape over several hours.

Niagara Gold then rests for 24 hours in a brine solution before being placed on racks in a temperature and humidity-controlled room. Each week, for five months, every wheel of Niagara Gold is washed by hand.  Over time, this exquisite cheese evolves from a smooth peach coloured rind to one mottled with beneficial molds ranging in colour from rust to charcoal.

The small rounds of Comfort Cream develop their characteristic white, bloomy (fuzzy) rind and are cellared for at least four weeks to develop their rich texture and flavours.