‘Squeak-ies’ ready to launch

P.E.I.’s first fresh, off-the-shelf snack cheese product is ready to hit farmers’ markets and restaurants across Prince Edward Island later this month.

Mont Carmel resident, Mathieu Gallant, says he is looking forward to continuing the P.E.I. cheese-making tradition through his new company, Island Artisan Cheesehouse.

Island Artisan Cheesehouse will make fresh locally crafted and sourced curd cheese snacks for food service and retail outlets. Their first product, “Squeak-ies” will be the only fresh, offthe-shelf snack cheese product offered in the province. It will be ready to hit the market at the end of July and will be available in various restaurants and farmers’ markets across the Island.

After growing up on a dairy farm in St. Timothy, five kilometers from his cheese processing site, Gallant decided he would pursue his passion of creating fine, Island- made cheese. Drawing from inspirations of his Acadian heritage, market research and techniques he learned while travelling to France and Quebec, Gallant says he is ready to share a world-class Prince Edward Island product with the world.

Commercial cheese making on Prince Edward Island dates back to the 19th century and has helped in the development of the dairy industry and preservation of the Island’s farming culture.

Gallant was one of the inaugural recipients of the Ignition Start Up funding grant of $25,000 to help develop small businesses in P.E.I. With this funding, Gallant was able to turn his idea into a reality by investing in market research and quality control measures.

The deadline for applications for the next round of the Ignition Start Up grant is July 29. Visit www.innovationpei.com/ignition for more information.