First shipments of milk in St-Albert!
St-Albert, August 13, 2014 – Barely 18 months after the horrible fire that ravaged the St-Albert cheese factory, and just as the 21st edition of the Curd Festival is about to get under way, Executive Director Éric Lafontaine is proud to announce that the factory received its first shipment of milk on Monday. This marks the launch of a gradual resumption of operations at the facility, which might just mean that the curd offered to this weekend’s visitors will be produced locally. “Production will remain limited for a few weeks until the new equipment has been mastered, but it represents an important stage, and we are thrilled to share this news with all the people who supported us over the past year,” indicated Éric Lafontaine. “For us, this is not only a rebirth but the start of a new chapter in the history of our Co-operative, which has been a key part of the community for 120 years,” explained Board of Directors Chair Ginette Quesnel.
Be one of the first to taste it!
Visitors to the Curd Festival between August 13 and 17 will be among the lucky ones, because if everything goes as planned, they will be among the first to taste the new locally produced cheese! “We have managed to produce limited quantities of excellent curd since Monday, so at this point we are confident that we can offer the first of the home-made curd for this weekend’s visitors.”
Production will resume gradually over the next few months, starting with the curd and followed by the block cheese and then the specialty cheeses. The new cheese will be available at every point of sale by the fall.
About the new cheese factory
During the Curd Festival, and even if operations are not yet entirely up and running, the St-Albert Cheese Co-operative will for the very first time be letting visitors in for a glimpse of the new factory. Inside, they will see a 200 foot corridor overlooking the production area and the new facilities. The following are some interesting fact about the new factory:
- Total dimension: 75,000 ft2, which is 30% greater than the former factory (57,000 ft2).
- Dimension of the commercial area, including the restaurant (new) and shop: 9,000 ft2, vs. 2,500 (shop only) in the former factory.
- Dimension of the visitors’ centre: 3,000 ft2, vs. 400 in the former factory.
- Annual production capacity: up to 10 million kg of cheese, vs. 3 million before.
A mural to capture this moment in time
Given that the new factory’s siding has not yet been installed, the Curd Festival’s organizers and the Co-operative’s executive thought of creating a giant mural, with a space where this weekend’s visitors could leave a message of support and encouragement for the St-Albert Cheese Co-operative, or just sign their name to record their presence at this historic moment. “This is a gift we want to leave future generations, a sort of time capsule. It will be a great surprise for the people who will someday be replacing the siding,” pointed out the Executive Director. Well-known Gatineau artist Lukasz Bober was put in charge of creating the mural.
Little hard hats for the kids
To mark this period of construction and as a sign of recognition to Albertine (the Curd Festival’s icon), who this year is depicted with a hard hat on the poster, the St-Albert Cheese Co-operative will be handing out 2,000 little hard hats to the first kids to show up at the Festival on Saturday and Sunday (1,000 on Saturday and 1,000 on Sunday).
New Web site
The St-Albert Cheese Co-operative would like to take this opportunity to announce that its new updated and modern Web site is now online. People will be able to easily find out where they can buy St-Albert cheese or get a poutine made with St-Albert cheese. You can visit the new Web site at www.fromage-st-albert.com
The shop should be open by the end of August, and the official opening of the new factory will be in early fall, once all of the work has been completed, including the new restaurant. In the meantime, visitors are welcome to stop by our temporary shop at 151 St-Paul St. in St-Albert, which will remain open longer during the Festival.