Over the next 10 weeks, BC Dairy Association will spotlight five local Okanagan businesses through a series of giveaways that will be featured on the@KelownaNow Instagram page.

This giveaway series will highlight small dairy processors, cheese crafters, ice cream makers and other local businesses that use BC dairy to make their products. Many local businesses have been significantly impacted by the disruption of COVID-19 and need our support more than ever. These contests will give you the chance to win delicious local products while showing support for small businesses in the community. 

To further support communities, BC’s dairy farmers will also donate $1 for every contest entry to Food Banks BC up to $20,000 (inclusive of the entire campaign).

For their first giveaway, let's have a look at Upper Bench Winery & Creamery.

Photo Credit: Upper Bench Winery & Creamery

Their BC-made cheese is handcrafted on-site using a state-of-the-art, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) registered creamery with 100% pasteurized Canadian cow’s milk from D Dutchmen Dairy in Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada.

"We lovingly craft five different washed-rind, brie and blue cheeses, which pair deliciously with our food-friendly wines," said a representative of Upper Bench Winery & Creamery. "All of our cheeses are gluten and additive-free and we can ship our cheese anywhere in Canada."

Along with cheese orders, Upper Bench Winery & Creamery make special occasion cheesecakes too.

Photo Credit: Upper Bench Winery & Creamery

Wanna try some of their tasty BC cheese?

Enter to win 1 of 20 Upper Bench baskets worth $80 by clicking over to @KelownaNow on Instagram. Once you're there, locate the recent contest posting and follow the rules and instructions to enter. But hurry! The contest deadline is June 29, 2020, at 11:59 pm.

Your chances of winning are pretty good too… 20 people will win the prize described below.

Seriously, check it out.

Prize

The prize pack includes a basket with four handcrafted Upper Bench cheeses, including King Cole Blue, Double Cream Brie, Upper Bench Gold and their newest addition, Belper Knolle, along with a box of Raincoast Crisp Crackers, a box of Gone Crackers and recipe card.

This prize has an estimated retail value of $80 and as mentioned, 20 winners are eligible for a prize pack.

Double Cream Brie

Double Cream Brie is made in both ten-inch and three-inch wheels. Upper Bench cuts the curd fairly large and then delicately places it in molds. They then dry salt it and move it to their ageing room until they are covered in a fine white bloomy rind.

This tasty buttery brie texture becomes creamier as it ripens.

Belper Knolle

The Belper Knolle is a Swiss cheese developed in the city of Belp, Switzerland. Made from cow's milk, this hard cheese is made for grating.

Belper Knolle (Belp Ball) is a lactic fermented cheese, meaning very little rennet is added and coagulation is mostly from acid development. Once formed, the curd is drained, seasoned with salt and garlic and rolled in crushed black pepper. These additions to the curd create a finished cheese with fantastic flavour.

Dried for a long period in the cave, when it's ready, Belper Knolle is served as small shavings, much as a truffle or Parmesan would be shaved to embellish culinary wonders.

Upper Bench Gold

This is Upper Bench’s signature cheese. 

It is a semi-soft surface-ripened, washed-rind cheese that only gets better with age. When young, it has a smooth rich and creamy texture with a subtle buttery flavour, which gets bolder with age.

King Cole

Hands down, King Cole blue cheese is their biggest seller.

Made from 100% Canadian pasteurized milk, this velvety semi-soft, surface-ripened blue with veining throughout is a bold, full-flavoured cheese with delightful hints of apple and pear. As you may have guessed from that description, this is not your typical blue cheese. King Cole is full of flavour, deep and creamy without the acidic bite of many blues. But don’t be fooled. This cheese has a flavour that lingers on your palate forever… making you crave more so it's a good thing that you'll probably win some of it.

Upper Bench's cheesemaker, Shana, chose to name the 'King Cole' after her Dad’s parents, whose Mum was a King and Dad was a Cole. This cheese is a perfect reflection of Shana’s Dad: big, bold and full of personality.

Photo Credit: Upper Bench Winery & Creamery

To win this local cheese and cracker basket worth $80 from Upper Bench Winery & Creamery, simply enter by clicking over to@KelownaNow on Instagram and from there, read the contest rules, follow the instructions and enter before the deadline on June 29, 2020, at 11:59 pm. 

Then, anytime you're in Penticton, 'Make Your Day with Dairy' by visiting Upper Bench at 170 Upper Bench Road South to try and buy their BC cheeses from their tasting room that's open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. You can also order online via their website or pick up Upper Bench cheese in Kelowna at Perceval and Young Cheesemongers.

About BC Dairy Association

BC Dairy Association (BCDA) is a not-for-profit organization representing British Columbia’s dairy farmers. BCDA is dedicated to educating British Columbians about milk, dairy farming and nutrition through school programs and community outreach. The association also advocates for and supports BC dairy farmers through initiatives that promote a vibrant and sustainable industry that supplies high-quality milk to consumers.

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