A group of monks known for making cheese is selling a variety of other treats now, with a business model built for the 21st century.
The Trappist monks of Oka, Que., spent decades making the soft and creamy Oka cheese, but sold that business in the 1980s and have shifted to selling chocolate-covered fruitcakes and caramel.
“(We) covered a piece of fruitcake with chocolate and it changed everything,” Brother Andre Barbeau, the president of the business, told CTV Montreal.
The monks also sell syrup made from the local fir trees, which they say is a one-of-a-kind product that works well in water or vodka. They’ve built an assembly line and have hired a handful of employees. The products are sold online and at a local gift shop.
The monastery in Oka began in 1881 when eight monks made the voyage from France to settle in Quebec. In order to survive financially, the French cheese maker Alphonse Juin suggested they make a product similar to Port-Salut.
The monks quickly became world-renowned for their Oka cheese and built a large facility to produce it. They would eventually sell the factory and recipe to Agropur in 1981.
“Oka was too big,” said Brother Bruno Marie. “It was built for 200 monks and now we are around 20, so it was too large for us.”
The monks sold their monastery in 2009 and moved into a smaller, more up-to-date home complete with geothermal heating and insulated windows.
“Many people who arrive here, they are waiting to see a medieval monastery, and they are surprised to see it’s so modern,” said Marie.
Barbeau said the large windows are designed to offer them a way to connect with the world around them.
“We don't want to break the harmony of the nature,” said Barbeau. “We want to enter into nature smoothly.”
