TORONTO -- A cream-enriched cheese from Quebec has been named grand champion in a national competition.

Laliberté, a cream-enriched cow's milk soft cheese with bloomy rind made at Fromagerie du Presbytere in Sainte-Elizabeth-de-Warwick, was picked by a jury of Canadian food industry experts from 27 category winners at the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix gala held in Toronto.

Named after Alfred Laliberté, a sculptor born in the Quebec community, the farmstead cheese took a year and a half to develop.

It's not the first time the specialty cheesemaker has been recognized. In 2011, its Louis d'Or was named grand champion at the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix.

The grand champion and 27 category winners were chosen from 268 entries submitted by cheesemakers across the country. The submissions were narrowed down to 81 finalists in February.

This year, nine new categories were added, including three individual Gouda categories based on cheese age and a stand-alone category for smoked cheese.

Sponsored and hosted every two years by Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix celebrates cheese made from 100 per cent Canadian milk.