Fritz Kaiser is the only producer of raclette-type cheese in Quebec

Established in Noyan

Fritz Kaiser is the only producer of raclette-type cheese in Quebec

by Hélène FAUTEUX (unknown newspaper, translated from the French articles)

Fritz Kaiser, 25 years old, native of Ruimlang in the suburbs of Zurich, Switzerland, is the only producer of raclette-type cheese in Quebec.

When his father, a dairy producer, immigrated to Canada in 1975 to establish himself on a farm in Noyan, young Kaiser remained in Switzerland to complete his dairy production course, following in his father’s footsteps.

Fritz Kaiser studied for four years at the Toni dairy in Zurich, learning to produce milk, ice cream, yogurt, and cheese, from 1974 to 1978.

Thus, in 1978, Mr. Kaiser came to Noyan to the family farm where he put his acquired knowledge into practice, helping with dairy work.

Cheese Factory

In 1981, his ambition to establish his own business resulted in a cheese factory, inaugurated in November.

“At first, I wanted to make yogurt,” says Mr. Kaiser, “but I realized that the market was already quite saturated in Quebec. So I applied to the Régie des marchés agricoles du Québec for a permit to operate a brie factory. But I was refused because there was already enough Brie cheese production to satisfy the Canadian market. That’s not what we call a “free market”, he quips.

The Raclette

In the end, Mr. Kaiser opted for raclette cheese, a Swiss specialty little known in Quebec at the time.

“Before building my business, I went to see the only raclette producer in Quebec, a guy of Swiss origin based in Saint-Cyrille. I was then able to see my chances of success, and fortunately for me, this guy has since stopped producing raclette, having too much to do on his farm. So, for the time being, I’m the only active raclette producer with an operating permit.”

Raclette still represents only a small percentage of the total cheese market. According to Mr. Kaiser, this is because many people wrongly imagine that raclette is just a specialty for melting.

“Some time ago,” he says, “no one in Quebec ate raclette or any other cheese except cheddar. Today, cheddar is still the most popular, but there are more and more varieties of cheese available on the market; people are trying a bit of everything and becoming more connoisseurs. People are more aware of the nutritional value of cheese,” adds Catherin Kaiser.

Quebec Cheese

Mr. Kaiser appreciates Quebec cheeses at their fair value.

“They’re getting better every year,” he says. “We used to import everything, but now that we make them here, they’re very good. They’ve become much more refined in recent years.”

Personally, Mr. Kaiser doesn’t much like cheddar cheese. “It’s pasteurized milk,” he criticizes. “It’s not aged enough; it’s too fresh for my taste.”

Brie, on the other hand, pleases his taste buds: “It’s very good. It tastes better every year. It’s as delicious as imported Brie,” he says.

On the other hand, it seems that Oka cheese is on a downward slope. Since the monks stopped producing it, it no longer has the same good taste, according to Mr. Kaiser.