'Devil's Rock' bringing accolades to Thornloe Cheese

A creamy blue cheese from Thornloe is the Dairy Farmers of Canada top pick to celebrate the country's 150th birthday.

Devil's Rock blue cheese was created to depict and play up an iconic landscape in the Temiskaming Area—  in this case a land formation that overlooks Lake Temiskaming into Quebec.

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It's not the first time Devil's Rock has been on the world stage, brand ambassador Pam Hamel told CBC's Up North.  Readers of the original Hardy Boys series might recognize the location.

"Devils' rock played a part in the mystery of the novel," Hamel said.

"In one of the [stories] the house on the cliff is actually Devil's Rock."

The marketing of the cheese even plays on the allure of the location.

"[Devil's Rock] is mysterious, when you see it on the shelves. It's a black pyramid encased in black wax," she said.

But people haven't shied away from trying Devil's Rock, she said.

"Some [customers] are reluctant, they don't' know what to do with it. But it's become a popular product for us."

Hamel said the cheese is creamy, and some consider it a gateway cheese to the much stronger Roquefort and Stilton cheeses.

It can be paired with butternut squash soup, Hamel said, or filled into scones or crumbled over salads.

All the recognition the award has drawn for them has been thrilling for the company, Hamel said.

"We call it the rock star. If we could create another couple rock stars we'd have no worries selling cheese," she said.

Listen to the interview here.