We told you about the great tasting cloth bound cheddar that Pete’s Frootique stores are selling. The producer is Cows, the company on PEI that makes the famous ice cream.
We wrote them to say we thought their cheese was terrific and the man who is the driving force behind the Cows brand, responded:
Thanks for your email and kind words about PEI Clothbound Cheddar. We have been making COWS Ice Cream since 1983.
About 10 years ago I was in Orkney Islands, north of Scotland, and met a cheesemaker there and have used his recipe for making our raw milk cheddar.
We are using the milk & equipment of the local milk cooperative. Milk is from local PEI farmers who work with holstein cows.
We make the cheese according to our recipe and methods and are aging the PEI Clothbound Cheddar in our own cheese maturing room.
We have made our own cheese molds to shape our cheddar into 10 kilo wheels which Armand Bernard, the head cheesemaker, is holding in the photo I’ve attached.
I have been to England a couple of times to work with cheesemakers there to learn this tradition of clothbound cheese.
PEI Clothbound Cheddar is held at a temperature between 10 & 12 degrees celcius and at 90% humidity for at least one year. The cheese wheels have to be turned on a regular basis.Thanks again, and I appreciate your interest in what we are doing.
All the best,
Scott Linkletter
In a subsequent phone conversation, Scott told us that they will be re-branding the Clothbound Cheddar as Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar sometime this year. They are also producing an aged cheddar under the Cows brand. This cheese is also made using raw milk and is available at Pete’s Frootique.
And, the clothbound cheese is making its way across the country. Scott says that Slow Food Calgary Convivium Leader and cheese expert, Janice Beaton is already selling it in her stores.
Scott Linkletter is a bit of a food entrepreneur on the Island. His PEI Oyster company harvests two varieties under the trade names Raspberry Point Oysters and Pickle Point Oysters. As soon as a new Convivium gets established on PEI all they have to do is call Scott to organize a series of interesting food events!
