Stacy Lee-Scott hopes to do great and, along the way, grate her opposition.
The owner-operator of Vernon’s Wedge Cheesery is one of six finalists – the only one from Western Canada – that will compete on the big stage at Canada’s biggest cheese show in Montreal Wednesday, April 29.
Lee-Scott will take part in the 2026 second annual Best Canadian Cheesemonger Competition, an event that was open to professional cheesemongers from across Canada.
A cheesemonger is a culinary profession, like chef or baker. The profession is beginning to establish itself in the sector of gourmet food and artisan dairy products, a distinct field in food that values quality, authenticity, and traditional craftmanship.
“I sent my application in on a whim, I didn’t really think I would get chosen,” said Lee-Scott, 49, who has owned the Wedge for four years, purchasing the business – no fooling – on April 1, 2022.
Open to professional cheesemongers from across Canada, the Best Canadian Cheesemonger is a national competition celebrating dairy people behind the counter who bring great cheese to life every day.
Through a series of practical, real-world challenges, the competition showcases craftsmanship, technical skill, product knowledge, and creativity whether you work in a specialty shop, a grocery cheese counter, or a fine food store.
Six candidates have been selected to compete live in front of an expert jury and attendees for the title and national recognition within the Canadian cheese community. One of the experts on the jury panel is Canada’s Cheese Ambassador, the well-known David Beaudoin, who helps Armstrong with its Grilled Cheese Sandwich Competition, part of the Big Cheese Festival, every year.
Beaudoin and Lee-Scott have worked together.
“I’ve worked in the food industry for 30 years, and I’ve worked with David on numerous occasions,” she said. “He’s the one who encouraged me to enter this competition.”
There are four parts to the half-day competition which will result in a total score out of 100:
• CHEESE PLATTER – the creation of a presentation platter based on a defined theme: Cultural Mosaic in Canada (one hour). The platter will contain a total of 20 cheeses and will be composed of 10 Canadian cheeses and 10 Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheeses including five goat, three sheep, seven cow, and one buffalo cheese;
• ORAL PRESENTATION – each candidate selects a Canadian cheese of their choice and must present and taste it to the jury (three minutes);
• MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONNAIRE – of 20 questions related to general knowledge about Canadian cheese-making and PDO available in Canada (20 minutes);
And, the one event that has Lee-Scott fidgeting:
• CUTTING – the candidate has five minutes to cut four 0.250 kg (250 g) portions from different cheeses provided by the organizer (five minutes). And the portions must be exactly 250 g.
“I’m nervous about the cheese cutting portion of the competition,” she said. “It would be fun to ask my cheese shop guests to help me get prepared by asking me to cut 250 grams of cheese to get my practice in.”
And she has practiced the cutting and succeeded in cutting 250 g exact on two occasions.
For the oral presentation, Lee-Scott will showcase the Petite Savoie cheese from the Creekside Creamery in Agassiz, in the Fraser Valley. Petite Savoie is a washed rind, soft cheese made in the Reblochon style. It is, according to the Creamery, “pleasantly pungent and deliciously creamy.”
The winner of the 2026 Best Canadian Cheesemonger competition will receive a $3,000 cash prize and a national title, allowing them to present their candidacy on the international stage in France in September 2027.
“I’m so excited to be going to Montreal,” said Lee-Scott. “There will be 2,500 cheeses under one roof and there will be all of the education and training to bring back to our shop in Vernon.”
Lee-Scott was an executive and sous chef in her years in the food industry. Her father worked as chef with French cuisine so she grew up in Vancouver with lots of cheese. But it’s only the past four years, since buying the Vernon business, that Lee-Scott has taken Cheese 101.
Her opponents in Montreal, combined, she said, have more than 20 years experiece working with cheese.
Located in downtown Vernon, the Wedge Cheesery is a fine cheese shop. Visitors are encouraged to come in and sample flavourful and unique cheeses from all around the world.
“We love to support our Canadian cheesemakers and have delightful choices from B.C. to P.E.I.,” said Lee-Scott. “Our cheese club subscriptions are a convenient way to acquire a new cheese to bring home monthly.”
Dining and Cooking