Interview – Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser

Video transcript

Q – With the owner, Fritz Kaiser. Mr. Kaiser, thank you for seeing us this morning.

A – Welcome.

Q – Thank you. Tell us a little about the history of Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser and how the project came about.

I did my apprenticeship in Switzerland as a dairy cheesemaker. I came to Canada. My family had been here before, three years before, with a dairy farm, and then I learned to make cheese.

I started something. I started the cheese dairy in ’81, very small, very small, artisanal, and it grew and grew. We started with two cheeses: Raclette and Noyan, and really just maybe 30 kg a day. Today, we’re up to three tons a day. So it’s been a really good experience, and we’ve been in business for over thirty years.

Q – When we talk about the variety of cheeses at Fritz Kaiser, it’s impressive. How many cheeses do you have?

A – Right now… How many? More than 20, more than 20 kinds. We started with 2 types and added others, because some cheeses sell better in winter. Then we started making soft cheeses, cheeses with goat’s milk, cheeses with goat’s milk and mixed cow’s milk.

There are several types: soft cheese, semi-firm cheese, even firm cheese like Miranda.

Q – Do you raise the animals yourself? Where does the milk come from? Does it all come from here in Noyan?

A – Not bad, yes, it’s really the farms in the region, but it’s not me, I’m pretty busy with the cheese dairy, but my brother has a big farm. He milks more than 500 cows. But all the milk comes from the Noyan, Clarenceville and Henryville area.

Q – And if I ask you the question: how does a Swiss-German become a Quebecer, especially here in Noyan in Montérégie? Why Noyan?

A – But Noyan is all about dairy farms. It’s a really good area for tourism, yes, because it’s close to the towns, but it’s also close to the lakes. So there’s a lot to do: winegrowers and a cheese factory. And of course, my family settled here in Noyan. They bought a dairy farm in the 74s. And of course, we’re going to make cheese where there’s milk, not to transport it miles and miles.

Q – Finally, you’ve won a number of international awards for several of your cheeses. If I were to ask you, which award are you most proud of?

A – But I’m most proud of the Grand Prix des Fromages Canadiens, the 2004 grand champion with Douanier. But I’ve also won prizes in England: The World Gold Cheese, bronze and silver awards. Still, it helps me more to win awards here in Canada, because it’s really local, and that helps me a lot. Outside, it’s more prestige than anything else.

Q – For those of you watching at home who are coming to Noyan, yes, we can get all your cheeses, all kinds of cheeses, but there are also some fine products available here. Tell us a little about the variety of products you can find at the cheese dairy.

R- Mainly… from Thursday to Saturday, we have Bissonnette bread, which we sell here on site, from Saint-Jean. We have Swiss chocolates, but we also have local products like (maple) syrup, local products that we make or sell here.

Q – So people who come here can really find a variety of local products?

A – Yes, that’s absolutely right. And that’s what I want to do too: it’s local craftsmen who have a good product, and sometimes we give them a hand.

Q – Well, Mr. Kaiser, thank you very much for having us here today at the Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser in Noyan. We invite people to come visit us and pick up some of our excellent products. Thank you very much, Mr. Kaiser.

A – Thank you François.