Laliberté Cheese Newsletter - Summer 2026

Summer 2026 is coming to a close! I feel like this has been one of the longest summers in recent memory. So much warm weather (maybe a bit too muggy of late!), lots of lazy Sundays on my part and just a general enjoyment of the amazing Comox Valley.

My last literary stream of consciousness was way back in May, when Ankia and I were still basking in the warmth of our trip to Italy, the people watching, the excellent food we ate, and the unchecked plans we hatched over an Italian-sized Aperol spritz.

If you've recently signed up to receive our newsletter, fair warning, I am inconsistent at best. As a woman of a certain age, if my phone doesn't remind me, I don't do. Which is why this is now a quarterly blog.

The Laliberté Cheese Chariot!

• 

• 

I had promised an announcement, and if you follow us on social media you will know that we unleashed the fruits of those unchecked plans in July in the form of our new cheese cart! We've popped up at Market Days in downtown Courtenay last month, where we served our flagship Mozza Platters to the masses. And we made an appearance at Beaufort Winery for one of their concert nights. We will be back at the winery this Friday, September 28th for the Amanda Hicks Duo concert that starts at 6pm (tickets can be bought online or first come first serve at the door).

Now that the dust of summer is starting to settle, we are figuring our what our long term plans are are for this fun little trolly. We are thinking more along the lines of small pop-up events at Beaufort winery, at birthdays, weddings, showers...just casual little get-togethers (not that weddings are casual...) , nothing too big or too long, because we are BUSY ladies!

What's Been Going On at the Shop

So much! Ankia has been incredibly busy this summer growing our personal brand products with jams and preserves made with local produce. Mostly that entails her sweating in the hot summer kitchen leaning over the hot-water bath canner. I don't think she's actually even keeping up with demand! Lots of summer fruits and veggies are being turned into delicious summer offerings and she's been prepping some great, classic winter products that will hit the shelves for Christmas.

Yes...Christmas is just around the corner...which means I am deep in the Christmas cheese order, which has gotten less scary each year, but still! Cheese aside, Christmas product planning is always fun, it's like shopping for your friends and family but on a larger scale.

Shout out to our amazing partners this year, Beaufort Winery of course...we've been partnered with them since 2022 since we started things up in our previous life as Laliberté Cheese Co. Sixth Street Social continues to represent us on their popular charcuterie boards. But don't just go for the boards, they've got a great cocktail list and a delicious menu. And new to the family is The Wild Vine. Gabrielle has been running her pop-up Wine Bar at Tidal Cafe in Comox over the summer, showing off her amazing wine knowledge paired with our cheeses! A fun thing to do on a Tuesday night.

New Cheeses

Lots of new cheeses the past few months. The most special? Gorgonzola Cremizola. What can I say about this cheese which isn't apparent from the photo. It is super creamy, with firmer pieces throughout. It has a defined sweetness to it, without it being over-powering in it's blue flavour. I've been trying to get this cheese in for over a year, and finally it arrived!

2nd place goes to French Mimolette, simply because we've never carried it before and also...cheese mites.

The French Mimolette was developed way back in the 17th century as a political "in your face" to Holland. Back then the Dutch were renowned for their cheese products (still are...looking at you Beemster XO), and the French government at the time wanted to reduce Dutch cheese imports, so they performed the highest form of flattery and took what the Dutch folk were doing and made it there own.

There are a lot of similarities between the French Mimolette and the Dutch Mimolette cheeses. Both bright orange, both brittle to cut, but smooth and creamy in the mouth. The biggest difference lies underneath the thick layer of wax that covers both versions. The French version has a much more rustic rind due entirely to the presence of cheese mites. These tiny little creatures, live on the surface of the cheese as it ages, eating the rind, resulting in the pitted appearance and enhancing the flavour through their natural secretions (honestly, I wasn't sure whether to include that line because....gross-ish). Found in it's natural environment in France, the cheese stands out in all it's unwaxed glory. But here in Canada, CFIA regulates the import of this cheese by requiring it to be thoroughly cleaned and then dipped in food-grade black wax before shipment to prevent any of these littles guys from hitching a ride to the New World.

La Payesa Cured Mahon PDO is an aged raw cow's milk cheese from Menorca, Spain.

It has a bit of a dry, crumbly texture and this particular version is aged for 12 months. During ripening it is rubbed with several layers of olive oil resulting in it's unique rind and flavour. It is an intense tasting cheese, salty, with a bit of a bite at the end.

And of course, the Scarmorza smoked cheese! We brought this in on a whim, and I personally love it. We have it in balls and my personal favourite, patties. Put these on the bbq to warm (don't walk away!!!! I did, and it was borderline catastrophic), and enjoy them as a gourmet veggie burger. Fan favourite, family favourite, friend favourite!

What Else is New?

Our pallets of Il Borgo Balsamico and Pruneti olive oil made its safely to the shop. These were our first big pallet orders from Europe and we were so happy that everything went smoothly.

We now off a full range of balsamic products from the Reggio Emilia region of Italy. From light and fruity aged condiments for use on your salad or in cooking to the exquisite texture and flavour of the 25 year traditional Balsamic Vinegar PDO. We are very proud to be carrying this beautiful line of authentic Balsamic products.

Our visit to Prunetti Olive oil, south of Florence, gave us the opportunity to try their extensive range of extra virgin olive oils, tour their facilities and build an order that showcases their range of flavours and intensities.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Il Custode Bio begines with more intense flavours or artichoke and rocket, moving towards radish. Ending notes of almond and black pepper. Use to season meat, excellent as a salad dressing.

Monocultivar Frantoio has a fresh flavour, grassy and vegetables notes. A softer evoo, it has mild notes of white pepper. Delicious with raw fish and meat, and matured cheeses.

DOP Chianti Classico starts an almond sensation with notes of arugula and artichoke. A black pepper finish. Dress yoru pasta or fish sauces, fresh vegetables and bruschettas.

Fruttato Leggero is a lighter flavoured evoo. Fresh grass, parsley are at the tip, ending with a mild spiciness of white pepper and sage. Best used on steamed fish & vegetables or white meats.

What's Next

Cheese Advent Calendars!!! These go on sale September 1st for local pick ups only! We will broaden to the rest of Canada October 1st. Select "Notify When Available" to get an email when they go live! They go fast and there are always a limited #. New cheese this year!

Ankia and I will be hitting the road again in October to attend a cheese mongering course near Lyon, France. Super excited! A bucket list item of mine since I first started thinking of starting a cheese biz. Our first official training, but I'm not scared. We've been slinging cheese to the masses for the last 2 years! But I'm sure we are going to learn lots!

We'll be spending the rest of our visit in the Brittany region of France. We are meeting with a new tinned seafood producer which we hope to be stocking soon. And the rest of the time will be spent with me eating all the butter and all the French caramels I can get my hands on...for sampling purposes of course.

See you at The Shop!

---