All posts by Anyssa Jane

Amsterdammer Cheese - like a German Butter Cheese

Amsterdammer: The Summer Cheese That Fights With No One

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Some cheeses are bold. Some cheeses are bossy. And then there is Amsterdammer — the cheese that fights with no one.

Buttery, smooth, melty, and easy to love, Amsterdammer is one of those cheeses that quietly belongs everywhere. On a summer cheese board, tucked into a picnic sandwich, sliced for a snack plate, melted over burgers, or stirred into a cozy mac and cheese after a long day outside — Amsterdammer is always a good idea.

Inspired by a German-style butter cheese, our Amsterdammer is mild, creamy, and wonderfully approachable. It has a gentle richness and a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes it a favourite for young and old. Kids love it because it is mild and creamy. Adults love it because it pairs beautifully with so many foods and drinks. Hosts love it because it works with just about everything.

That is why we like to call it the summer cheese of choice.

Why Amsterdammer Belongs in Your Summer Fridge

Summer eating should feel easy. Fresh fruit, simple crackers, good bread, a few pickles, maybe a little honey or mustard, and a beautiful local cheese that brings it all together.

Amsterdammer does exactly that. Its flavour is mild, buttery, creamy, smooth, approachable, and lightly savoury. It does not overpower a board, but it also never gets lost. It is mellow enough to pair with fresh summer fruit and bright drinks, yet rich enough to make a sandwich, burger, or grilled cheese feel special.

Best Ways to Enjoy Amsterdammer

Amsterdammer is one of our most versatile cheeses. Try it:
On summer cheese boards
-Sliced with apples, pears, grapes, or fresh baguette
-Melted into grilled cheese or mac and cheese
-Layered onto burgers or breakfast sandwiches
-Packed into kids’ lunches or picnic snack boxes
-Served with crackers, honey, mustard, pickles, or fruit preserves
-Melted over potatoes, vegetables, or baked dishes

It is also a perfect “everyone at the table” cheese — gentle enough for simple tastes, but still delicious enough for serious cheese lovers.

What to Pair With Amsterdammer

Because Amsterdammer is so smooth and mellow, it lets other flavours shine. Pair it with crisp apples, pears, grapes, fresh baguette, honey, mustard, pickles, fruit preserves, or simple crackers.

For drinks, Amsterdammer works beautifully with sparkling wine, crisp white wine, light reds, cider, beer, fruit juice, and even whisky. It is the kind of cheese that can sit comfortably beside a casual picnic drink or a more thoughtful pairing.

A Cheese for Young and Old

Amsterdammer is proof that simple can still be special. It is not trying to be the loudest cheese on the board. It is the cheese everyone reaches for again and again.

Smooth, buttery, melty, and made for sharing — Amsterdammer is ready for summer boards, sandwiches, snack plates, family lunches, and cozy nights when mac and cheese is exactly what the day needs. Find Amsterdammer at your local grocery in the deli section

It will be new to your Choices Store this summer, Thrifty Foods and many more !

Amsterdammer: the summer cheese that fights with no one.

Choice Choices Markets: A Natural Fit for Natural Pastures Cheese

British Columbia Stores

Supporting Choices Markets means supporting a BC business that continues to champion local producers. Every time you choose Natural Pastures Cheese, you are also supporting Canadian milk, Vancouver Island food makers, and the farmers behind every wheel. They have now paired up with Instacart so you can get your cheese board right to your door!

Click through and search ” Cheese” to find this special.

Founded in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood in 1990, Choices Markets has grown with a clear commitment to supporting BC farmers, food makers, and community organizations. Their focus on sustainability, customer education, and sourcing local products whenever possible makes them a wonderful fit for our Vancouver Island cheeses.

For shoppers looking to bring home Canadian-made artisan cheese, keep an eye out for Natural Pastures Cheese in the deli section at your local Choices Markets. From our creamy Comox Brie to our Aged Farmhouse — a two-year-old Gouda-Cheddar blend with a rich, full flavour,crystals and a sharp sweet bite! — there is something special for every cheese board, picnic, or quiet night in.

And now, shopping at Choices is even easier. Choices Market’s local, organic, and specialty food items are available exclusively through Instacart, so customers can have their favourite groceries delivered right to their door. Download the Instacart app on iOS or Android.

Supporting Choices Markets means supporting a BC business that continues to champion local producers. Every time you choose Natural Pastures Cheese, you are also supporting Canadian milk, Vancouver Island food makers, and the farmers behind every wheel.

Order now! But forgive them as they update to our new labels!! https://www.instacart.ca/store/choices-market/s?k=natural+pastures

Buy BC - Natural Pastures Cheese

Featured Cheese at Sial 2026 with Dairy Farmers of Canada

Firm Cheese,
Natural Pastures Cheese Returns to SIAL Montréal with Dairy Farmers of Canada

We are excited to share that Natural Pastures Cheese Company has once again been invited to participate in SIAL Montréal with Dairy Farmers of Canada, helping to represent British Columbia and the quality of Canadian milk on the national stage.

This year, we have selected four of our favourite cheeses to send for sampling: our award-winning Comox Brie, Aged Farmhouse, Pacific Wild Fire, and Amsterdammer. Each one reflects our commitment to artisan cheesemaking, Vancouver Island milk, and the distinctive flavour of our coastal terroir.

We are also especially excited that David Beaudoin will be showcasing a couple of our cheeses during his presentations this year. It is always an honour to see our products shared with chefs, retailers, distributors, and food professionals from across Canada and beyond.

If you are attending SIAL Montréal, please stop by the Dairy Farmers of Canada booth and say hello to Sylvie and her team. We are grateful for the opportunity to be included and wish everyone a wonderful, successful show.

For questions, samples, or sales inquiries, please contact us at:

sales@naturalpastures.com
See our show selection below and contact us here for samples and any other questions.
https://naturalpastures.com/wholesale/

Natural Pastures Cheese Company
Proudly made on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Pacific Wildfire Verdelait
Comox Brie
Aged Farmhouse Cheese
The Amsterdammer Cheese
Nutritional Facts for Each cheese
Wholesale

The Wonders of Water Buffalo Mozzarella

mozzarella, Water Buffalo Cheese

The Good, the Honest, and the Seasonal Beauty

There is something undeniably special about water buffalo mozzarella. Soft, delicate, rich, and beautifully fresh, it offers a different experience from standard cow’s milk mozzarella. For many cheese lovers, it feels a little more luxurious, a little more memorable, and a little more connected to tradition.

But like all truly artisan food, water buffalo mozzarella is not about uniform perfection every single day of the year. It is about real milk, real animals, real seasons, and the natural variation that comes with producing cheese from a living herd.

Here on Vancouver Island, the 2 herds of water buffalo we get milk from, are grass fed and raised without GMO feed. That matters — not just for how the animals are cared for, but for the flavour, texture, and character of the mozzarella made from their milk. ( Coleman Meadows and McClintock’s Farm)

Why Water Buffalo Mozzarella Is So Loved

Water buffalo milk is naturally rich. It contains higher butterfat and protein than typical cow’s milk, which helps create mozzarella with a creamy, tender body and a satisfying, luxurious mouthfeel. When it is fresh, water buffalo mozzarella has a gentle brightness, a milky sweetness, and a soft, delicate texture that feels both light and indulgent at the same time.

It is the kind of cheese that does not need much dressing up. A little olive oil, a ripe tomato, torn basil, warm bread, or simply a pinch of good salt is often enough. It shines because of its freshness.

Many people also appreciate water buffalo mozzarella because it feels closer to the old-world roots of mozzarella making. It carries a sense of craftsmanship and heritage, while still feeling clean and simple on the plate.

The Good: What Makes It So Remarkable

One of the great wonders of water buffalo mozzarella is its depth without heaviness. Even though it is rich, it can still feel fresh and elegant. It has a beautiful balance of creaminess, moisture, and gentle tang.

For many people, water buffalo milk also shares some of the appeal that draws them to goat and sheep milk cheeses. Like those milks, it offers a distinctive character and, because it is naturally A2, some people find it feels gentler and more approachable than conventional cow’s milk dairy. That does not mean it tastes like goat or sheep cheese, but it can offer that same sense of individuality, richness, and connection to the animal and the land.

It also reflects the milk in a very honest way. Good milk makes good cheese, and when animals are well raised, well fed, and allowed to express the natural rhythm of the seasons, that quality comes through.

For our herds on Vancouver Island, being grass fed and non-GMO contributes to that sense of authenticity. The milk is not anonymous. It has place, character, and a story behind it.

The Honest Side: The “Bad” Is Really Part of the Beauty

If there is a “bad” side to artisan water buffalo mozzarella, it is only that it does not always behave like an industrial product.

Its flavour and texture can vary seasonally. That is the honest truth of working with real milk from grass-fed herds. Depending on the time of year, the pasture, weather, stage of lactation, and the natural cycle of the animals, the milk can change — and so can the cheese.

Some batches may be a little richer. Some may feel slightly firmer or softer. Some may have more sweetness, while others may show a little more tang or a more pronounced dairy character.

For people used to mass-produced cheese, that variation can be surprising. But for those who value artisan food, it is part of what makes the experience meaningful. It is not inconsistency for the sake of inconsistency — it is seasonality, expressed through cheese.

Why Seasonal Variation Matters

Seasonal variation is often a sign that a cheese is connected to the land and to the animals producing the milk. Grass-fed herds naturally respond to the environment around them. Spring and summer pasture can influence flavour differently than autumn feed. Weather patterns and herd cycles can subtly affect milk composition.

That means the mozzarella may not taste exactly the same in every season — and that is something we see as a strength, not a flaw.

It is much like wine, fresh produce, or cultured butter from a small dairy. The shifts are usually gentle, but they remind us that food is alive, agricultural, and rooted in time and place.

What to Expect From Water Buffalo Mozzarella

When you open a fresh water buffalo mozzarella, expect moisture, tenderness, and a fresh dairy aroma. The texture should feel supple and delicate, never rubbery. The flavour should be clean, creamy, and softly lactic, with enough richness to linger pleasantly.

Depending on the season, you may notice:

  • a creamier or slightly denser texture
  • a sweeter or more savoury dairy note
  • subtle differences in moisture and softness
  • a changing balance between richness and brightness

That is the beauty of a living product made from a living herd.

A Cheese Worth Appreciating Slowly

Water buffalo mozzarella is not just another cheese for shredding or melting. It is a fresh cheese that deserves a little attention. Serve it at room temperature whenever possible. Let it breathe. Pair it simply. Notice the texture. Notice the milk. Notice how the season may have shaped it.

In a world where so much food is pushed toward sameness, water buffalo mozzarella reminds us that difference can be delicious.

Final Thoughts

The wonder of water buffalo mozzarella is not just in its creamy texture or rich flavour. It is in its honesty. It reflects the quality of the milk, the care of the herd, and the rhythm of the seasons.

Here on Vancouver Island, with grass-fed, non-GMO water buffalo herds, that story becomes even more meaningful. Yes, flavour and texture can vary. But that variation is part of what makes artisan mozzarella worth seeking out. It is fresh, real, and connected to the land in a way that industrial cheese simply cannot be.

And to us, that is not the bad side of water buffalo mozzarella.

Vancouver Guardian Article Feb 9, 2026

Fresh Cheese, Ideas & Info, News,

A Peek Behind the Scenes at Natural Pastures

We’re excited to share a recent feature from the Vancouver Guardian that gives a behind-the-scenes look at what we do at Natural Pastures Cheese Company — and more importantly, how we do it as a team.

While Anyssa was the one interviewed, the story really belongs to the people who make Natural Pastures what it is every single day: the early-morning cheesemakers, the detail-obsessed packaging crew, and the admin team that keeps everything moving from orders to logistics to customer support. The article captures something we talk about a lot internally — that our business works because three teams collaborate tightly, day in and day out, to get great cheese from our Courtenay production floor to tables across Canada.

It also touches on what we’re proud of: being an award-winning, family-owned Vancouver Island company that makes both cow-milk and water buffalo-milk cheeses, and operating our on-site Artisan Cheese Shop so you can visit the place where the cheese is actually made.

If you’ve ever wondered what “behind the scenes” really looks like in an artisan cheese company — from the 4:30 a.m. starts, to wrapping and smoking, to the coordination that gets products into delis and specialty shops — this one’s for you.

Read the full article here: “Homegrown Business: The Natural Pastures Cheese Company” (Vancouver Guardian).

Cow Bocconcini & Fior di Latte: Vancouver Island Cow milk at it’s finest!

mozzarella

There’s something about fresh cheese that just feels like the coast.

Our cow bocconcini and Fior di Latte are made with local Vancouver Island milk—bright, clean, and beautifully balanced—shaped by the coastal “island terroir” we’re proud to call home. The result is that signature fresh-cheese magic: soft, milky, gently tangy, and impossibly versatile.

Bocconcini are those little “bite-sized” balls of joy—tender, delicate, and perfect for snacking, salads, skewers, and quick weeknight dinners.
Fior di Latte (meaning “flower of milk”) is mozzarella at its purest: silky, creamy, and mild—made to melt, stretch, and elevate everything from pizza night to pasta.

Whether you’re building a cheese board, making a cozy baked dish, or keeping it simple with olive oil and sea salt, these two are your fridge’s best friends.

Recipe 1: 10-minute Bocconcini Summer(ish) Salad

What you need

  • Bocconcini (drained)
  • Cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • Cucumber (sliced)
  • Fresh basil
  • Olive oil
  • A splash of balsamic or red wine vinegar
  • Salt + pepper

How to make it

  1. Toss tomatoes + cucumber with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
  2. Add bocconcini and gently fold through.
  3. Finish with lots of torn basil (and an extra drizzle of olive oil).

Optional upgrades: olives, thin red onion, toasted pine nuts, cracked pepper, or a spoon of pesto.

Recipe 2: Crispy Fior di Latte Skillet Pizza (no fuss)

What you need

  • Pizza dough (store-bought is totally fine)
  • Fior di Latte (torn into pieces)
  • Tomato sauce
  • Olive oil
  • Toppings you love (pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, prosciutto, etc.)
  • Basil or arugula to finish

How to make it

  1. Heat oven to 475°F / 245°C. Put a cast-iron pan in the oven to preheat (careful!).
  2. Stretch dough roughly to the size of your pan.
  3. Remove hot pan, drizzle with olive oil, and lay in the dough.
  4. Spread a thin layer of sauce, add toppings, then scatter torn Fior di Latte over top.
  5. Bake 10–14 minutes until bubbling and golden.
  6. Finish with basil (or arugula) and a drizzle of olive oil.

Tip: Tear Fior di Latte and blot lightly with paper towel if it’s very moist—helps avoid a soggy center.

Find your local flyer here to get the best deal or order for pick up or home delivery! https://naturalpastures.com/cheese-store-flyers/

Don’t Undo the Good Work—Choose BC + Canadian Brie at Save-on-Foods and local stores.

Comox Brie

Did you know you can order it for pick up or right to your door from many of the Save-on-Foods stores?

Natural Pastures – Comox Brie Cheese – Save-On-Foods

Don’t Undo the Good Work—Choose BC + Canadian

International headlines can feel loud right now—but they don’t have to derail the good work we’ve done here at home to support local BC and Canadian products. One practical way to keep your dollars circulating in Canada is to shop with Canadian grocers that invest in Canadian-made food and the communities they serve.

Save-On-Foods makes that choice easy. You can shop online and choose curbside pickup (available at EVERY Save-On-Foods location) or home delivery in many of the markets they serve.
And there’s another local impact that’s easy to forget: when you shop at Save-On-Foods, you’re supporting your neighbours who work there, too. It’s not just the people on the tills and the teams stocking shelves—it’s the order pickers, warehouse crews, dispatch teams, and the drivers who keep food moving safely and on time. That whole chain—stores, warehouses, and delivery—helps keep local jobs strong and is a real, everyday part of the #CanadaStrong mindset.

Save-On-Foods Canadian history (100 words or less)

Save-On-Foods’ legacy began in 1915 in New Westminster, BC. The first store became known for giving customers “a little extra”—famously selling 18 ounces of tea for the price of 16, which inspired the original name Overwaitea. Over the decades the business expanded across Western Canada, and today Save-On-Foods is part of the Pattison Food Group, continuing a long-running Canadian tradition of value and service.

A1 or A2 – what to do? What milk is best for you?

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If dairy sometimes leaves you feeling “meh,” it might not be just lactose—another difference people talk about is the type of milk protein called beta-casein. Many cows produce milk with a mix of A1 and A2 beta-casein, while water buffalo milk is naturally A2. In simple terms, A1 can break down into a different peptide during digestion than A2 does, and some people find that A2 dairy feels a little gentler for them. No big claims here—just a practical “try it and see how you feel” approach, because everyone’s body is different.

That’s one reason we love highlighting our Water Buffalo Brie at Natural Pastures Cheese Company here on Vancouver Island. It’s creamy, rich, and beautifully mild—an easy place to start if you’re curious about buffalo dairy. Just a friendly reminder: A2 isn’t lactose-free, so if lactose is your main issue, your experience may vary. The good news is you don’t have to overthink it—swap in a buffalo option for a week, keep everything else the same, and see what you notice.

And it’s not just cheese: McClintock’s Water Buffalo Yogurt is also produced here at Natural Pastures Cheese here on Vancouver Island from local herds. It’s a great option for breakfast or snacks—especially topped with local Island Good granola and a handful of berries. Plus, every Tuesday we make Mozzarella di Bufala (buffalo mozzarella) in that classic Italian style—soft, delicate, and perfect with tomatoes, olive oil, and a pinch of Vancouver Island Smoked Whiskey Barrel Sea Salt. Whether you start with a spoonful of yogurt or a slice of brie, buffalo dairy is an easy, delicious way to explore what works best for you.

** Please check with your doctor if you have severe allergies or issues before trying.

Cultured Butter: Old-World Craft, Modern Kitchen Wisdom

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Butter is one of the most quietly powerful ingredients in the kitchen. A small amount can completely change a dish—softening acidity, carrying aroma, and adding a sense of comfort that few other foods can replicate. When butter is well made, it doesn’t shout. It simply belongs.

The cultured butter we make in the European tradition follows that philosophy. It’s not designed to be flashy or trendy, but to be functional, flavourful, and deeply satisfying—whether it’s melting over vegetables, foaming gently in a pan, or stirred into a morning coffee.

Why Culture Matters

The word butter traces back to ancient Greek and Latin roots and is closely tied to butyric acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid that develops in dairy fat. It was first studied in detail by Michel Eugène Chevreul, whose work helped us understand fats not as something to fear, but as a vital part of food chemistry.

Long before industrial cooking oils existed, cultures across Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia relied on butter from cows, sheep, goats, buffalo, and yaks. What set European butter apart was fermentation. By allowing cream to culture before churning, butter makers discovered deeper flavour, better texture, and improved performance in the kitchen.

That same principle still applies today. Cultured butter starts with cream that is gently fermented before churning, much like yogurt or crème fraîche. This slow step develops natural acidity and complexity, giving the butter a subtle tang and a rounded, savoury finish. It also changes how the butter behaves when you cook with it. It can also be taken to a next level of smoothness by clarifying it or making ghee.

Compared to standard sweet-cream butter, cultured butter contains less water and more butterfat. That means it melts more evenly, browns more beautifully, and delivers flavour without becoming greasy or flat. It tastes alive—because it is.

For years, butter was pushed aside in favour of margarine and vegetable-oil spreads. These products were marketed as healthier, yet they are often heavily refined and structurally altered. Butter, by contrast, is a whole food. Nothing is stripped out and nothing is engineered back in.

When you cook with real butterfat, you’re working with a stable, traditional fat that humans have metabolized for generations. Modern nutrition science increasingly reflects what traditional food cultures already understood: natural dairy fat behaves very differently in the body than highly processed seed oils.

Anyone who has sautéed with cultured butter notices it immediately. The pan stays calmer, the aroma is richer, and food browns rather than steams. Vegetables develop sweetness, eggs turn silky, and seafood takes on a gentle nuttiness without being masked.

Because there’s less water in cultured butter, you get better control and more flavour with less product. It’s not about cooking hotter—it’s about cooking cleaner.

Butter in Coffee: Comfort with Purpose Adding butter to coffee may sound indulgent, but it’s a practice rooted in how fat and caffeine work together. Butterfat provides slow, steady energy and helps soften the sharp edges of coffee, making the experience feel grounding rather than jittery. Cultured butter works especially well here—its gentle tang and higher butterfat content emulsify beautifully, creating a smooth, creamy cup without sweetness.

For coffee, unsalted cultured butter is best. It lets the character of the coffee come through while still adding body and richness.

A simple bulletproof-style coffee (cultured butter version):
Brew one cup of hot coffee—medium to dark roast works best. Add one to two teaspoons of unsalted cultured butter, and if you like, a teaspoon of MCT oil or coconut oil. Blend for 20–30 seconds until the coffee becomes smooth and lightly foamy. A milk frother works well if a blender isn’t handy.

For a warming finish, add a pinch of cinnamon or ground clove to taste. Cinnamon brings a gentle sweetness without sugar, while clove adds a deeper, almost chai-like note that pairs beautifully with cultured butter.

The finished cup should resemble a café crema rather than having oil floating on top—silky, aromatic, and satisfying. This isn’t about turning coffee into a dessert; it’s about creating a morning ritual that supports focus and fullness using real ingredients instead of syrups or sweeteners.
Check out the health benefits here

A Return to Real IngredientsButter, like eggs, has followed a familiar arc: once celebrated, then vilified, and now slowly reclaimed. The issue was never butter itself, but context. When used in place of inferior fats—not on top of them—real butter supports flavour, satiety, and enjoyment.

Cultured butter isn’t about excess. It’s about intention. Choosing quality, respecting tradition, and letting one well-made ingredient do what it has always done best.

✨ The Christmas Tree Star Who Wanted to Be Butter ✨

Butter, ,

Once upon a snowy Christmas Eve, a tiny Christmas star twinkled high atop a fir tree, feeling a little out of place. “Everyone loves butter at Christmas,” the star sighed, watching a family around the table spreading golden butter on fresh rolls. “I wish I could be Christmas butter!”

The North Wind, playful and kind, heard the little star’s wish. With a swirl of frosty magic, the wind gently lifted the star from the tree and floated it into the warm kitchen. The star landed gracefully in a golden butter dish—and something magical happened.

The warm heart of the Christmas tree star shaped the square of golden Natural Pastures Cheese Butter Star – European-style cultured butter into a perfect star, just like itself.

The family gasped in delight. “It looks just like the fancy French butter—but it’s made right here in Canada with Vancouver Island milk!” the mother smiled. “It’s our own little star of the season.”

The star glowed with joy. It hadn’t become butter, but it had made the butter magical. Later, they gently placed it back on top of the tree, where it twinkled brighter than ever.

And so, the little star discovered that bringing joy, and a little local magic, was more than enough to shine.

Natural Pastures Cultured Butter – Product Description

Product Name:

Natural Pastures Canadian Cultured Butter (86% M.F.)

Product Description:

Our Natural Pastures Cultured Butter is a premium, European-style butter crafted from 100% Canadian cow’s milk sourced from Vancouver Island dairy farms. Made in small batches using traditional fermentation methods, this butter delivers exceptional flavour, texture, and performance.

Slow-cultured with active bacterial cultures and churned to a rich 86% milk fat content, it features a smooth, creamy mouthfeel and a deep, tangy, slightly nutty flavour reminiscent of classic French butters like Beurre de Baratte. Ideal for both culinary professionals and home cooks seeking premium butter with clean, local provenance.

Key Features:

  • Milk Source: 100% Vancouver Island cow’s milk
  • Fat Content: 86% milk fat (M.F.)
  • Texture: Dense, silky, slow-churned texture
  • Flavour Profile: Rich, creamy, mildly tangy with deep cultured notes
  • Unsalted Only:
  • Color: Pale yellows, depending on season
  • Type: Cultured, lactic-fermented butter

Applications:

  • Perfect for holiday baking, croissants, laminated doughs, and pâte brisée
  • Ideal for sauces, finishing steaks, or melting over vegetables
  • Beautiful for table service in upscale restaurants and holiday meals
  • Suitable for spreading, sautéing, and making compound butters

Sizes: 200g, 454 g (pound), 5 Kilo, 10 kilo Available in our Artisan Cheese Shop and select Vancouver Island Shops

Available at Butch Block, Edible Island Foods, Honey Grove Bakery in Courtenay, Seeds Grocery in Cumberland and other specialty stores. For Wholesale please connect with us at sales@ naturalpastures.com or Lekker Foods.