It really goes without saying but we make some pretty damn good cheese here in Ontario! We're truly spoiled with the quality and variety of cheeses produced by our local cheese makers. And, at 100km Foods, we're lucky to partner with some of the very best in the game.
We're going to introduce you to 16 of our favourite Ontario cheese producers (in no particular order), give you a sneak peak inside their production process, and a complete breakdown of each cheese's style, aging, tasting notes, applications and how they can be used as substitutes for popularly imported European cheeses.
Looking for cheeses available through 100km Foods by a particular producer? Simply click the producer below to jump to their section.
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“Farming is not only an occupation, it’s a way of living.” – Adam Van Bergeijk.
Wise words from the owner of Mountainoak cheese, Rick Mercer’s favourite dairy farmer and cheesemaker!
Adam and Hannie Van Bergeijk are the owners of Mountainoak located in New Hamburg, ON. Their son Arjo and his wife Baukje help to run the farm.
Being a true family business, it only makes sense that the name ‘Mountainoak’ comes from their family name! The English translation of their Dutch family name, “Van Bergeijk”, means “from the mountain oak.”
Adam and Hannie were originally dairy farmers from the Netherlands, where they first became interested in cheese making. In the early 1980s, they attended an artisanal cheese making school that had a 300 year history of making Gouda style cheese.
The cheeses they made in Holland grew in popularity, but eventually, they wanted to expand their dairy farm. Thus, they decided to immigrate to Canada, where they purchased their first farm in Wilmot Township in September 1996.
In the beginning, they actually had no plans to continue making cheese. Instead they wanted to focus on raising their herd. As Adam and Hannie’s sons grew older and began to take over the farming and dairy herd duties, Adam and Hannie moved back towards making artisanal Dutch goudas.
At first, this was just for personal consumption, but as the popularity of their cheeses grew, they decided to officially go into the cheese making business! So when it came time to brand their business, the name Mountainoak just made sense — Mountainoak milk should be made into Mountainoak cheese!
As Adam explains, "everything you do with your cows is going to be paid back in your milk". This is a philosophy they put into practice at Mountainoak.
On 325 hectares of land, they grow feed, care for, and milk their own herd of over 400 dairy cows. They use the 11,000 litres of high quality milk produced yearly to turn into their delicious artisanal cheeses.
Their milk is delivered through a pipeline straight from the milking barn to the cheesemaking building and the cows milk themselves with self-milking robots (similar to Sheldon Creek Dairy).
By being so involved with each step of the process, they ensure that their milk has as much flavour as possible. This is reflected in the superior quality of the carefully crafted cheeses they produce.
They also care about ensuring the environmental sustainability of their farm for future generations. Right now, their fresh water source for cheese production comes from a well, which requires softening and reverse osmosis to make it suitable for cheese making.
They had an assessment done by the Bloom Centre for Sustainability in conjunction with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario to see where they could conserve water use and be as efficient as possible. By doing so, they managed to reduce their water use by 25-30%!
Since completing their assessment, they're evaluating other systems to increase water collection, such as recycling rainwater. All of this is done with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint of their dairy farming and cheese making. This is something we’re totally on board with here at 100km Foods!
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Aged Gouda (semi- firm) | Cow | 18 months | Award-winning full flavored gouda with hints of butterscotch and caramel. | This award-winning Gouda is perfect on its own on any cheese board. Also try using in sandwiches, fondues, soups, Mac & Cheese, casseroles, potatoes gratin, empanadas, quiches & more. | Traditional aged Dutch Goudas | |
| "Farmstead Medium" Premium Dutch Gouda | Young Gouda (semi-soft) | Cow | 2-3 months | Mountainoak's medium Gouda is a perfect everyday cheese. It has a smooth and creamy texture with a mild flavour and melts incredibly well. | Perfect for melting - great used in sandwiches, used in fondues, soups, or Mac & Cheese, casseroles, potatoes gratin, empanadas, quiches & more. | Traditional Dutch Goudas |
| "Three Years Old" Farmstead Premium Dutch Gouda | Young Gouda (firm) | Cow | 3 years | Similar in texture to a parmesean, this cheese is bursting with mature flavour. Beautiful chrystalization in this cheese. | This cheese is perfect for shaving or grating atop salads, vegetable dishes and pastas. | Parmesan |
| "Two Years Old" Farmstead Premium Dutch Gouda | Young Gouda (firm) | Cow | 2 years | As a very similar crumbly texture to a parmesan cheese, it's very full flavoured. | This cheese is perfect for shaving or grating atop salads, vegetable dishes and pastas. | Parmesan |
| "Black Truffle" Farmstead Premium Dutch Gouda | Semi-soft | Cow | 2-3 months | Smooth creamy Gouda with Black Truffle Gouda is a uniquely aromatic truffle cheese. | The perfect addition to elevate a grilled cheese sandwich, melted into a pasta dish or casserole, or to bring an earthy, decadent element to a cheese board. | Traditional Dutch Goudas |
| "Wild Nettle" Farmstead Premium Dutch Gouda | Semi-soft | Cow | 2-3 months | Smooth, creamy Gouda with Wild Nettle provides an herbal, earthy flavour to the cheese. When combined with the creamy Gouda, it's a unique, Ontario match made in heaven. | Melt intp sandwiches, top burgers or add to a cheese board for a unique herbal flavour. | Traditional aged Dutch Goudas |
| "Chili Pepper" Farmstead Premium Dutch Gouda | Semi-soft | Cow | 2-3 months | Smooth, creamy Gouda with bold chili peppers giving it a hint of a bite on the finish. Nothing to be afraid of, just the right amount of heat. | Perfect to add a bit of heat to a grilled cheese sandwich, melted on top of a burger or on a cheese board. | Traditional aged Dutch Goudas |
The cheese varieties they produce are delectable and award winning! Their Farmstead Gold is a full flavoured farmstead gouda that exudes hints of butterscotch and caramel that's aged for 18 months.
The list of awards this cheese has won is extensive, including the Reserve Grand Champion at the 2016 Royal Winter Fair, as well as 1st place in the British Empire Cheese Competition in 2015!
Their Farmstead Mild is aged 2-3 months and is exceptionally smooth and creamy. This cheese is A+ for melting, and won 1st place in the Class 4 Semi-Firm Cheese at the British Empire Cheese competition in 2016.
Monforte Dairy is an Ontario cheese producer located in Stratford that believes agriculture is best practiced on a human scale. Each of their cheeses reflects something deeper than the technology behind mass manufactured food.
Ruth Klahsen originally opened Monforte Dairy in Millbank, Ontario 12 years ago. She has a longstanding culinary career, graduating in the first class of the Stratford Chef School in the 1980s. She's also worked in a number of fantastic restaurants in Stratford over the years, as well as spent time staging abroad during the winter.
Over time, Ruth’s love of cheese evolved from a side project into starting her own dairy business. Her extraordinary passion for cheese making continues to shine through in all of their Monforte's amazing Ontario cheeses.
Originally, Monforte sourced milk from small Mennonite and Amish sheep farms. However, as the dairy industry shifted over time, they have expanded to also produce cheeses from goat, water buffalo and cow’s milk.
Monforte is an incredible example of a business that is fiercely dedicated to sustainability.
They have, and always will, only source their milk sustainably from small-scale farms that follow the natural life-cycle of the animals. This means the farmers milk the animals until they naturally dry up in the late fall and winter. They then begin milking again in the spring-time after they drop.
By following this natural cycle, their offerings follow a progression – lots of fresh cheeses in the spring and summer, and then shifting towards harder, aged cheeses for the fall and winter.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Amos | Tomme De Savoie (semi-firm) | Cow | 6 months | Wild aged cheese with a washed curd, golden and tangy paste. | Great addition to any cheese board. | N/A |
| Fresco | Soft | Goat, sheep & water buffalo | Fresh, ready to use | Fresh, unpressed, pure and beautiful, softish texture. | Versatile cheese great in anything from salads to lasagnas. | N/A |
| Fromage Frais | French Cream Cheese Style (soft) |
Cow |
Fresh, ready to use | Creamy & buttery cow's milk cream cheese in a French style | Use as you would use cream cheese from breakfast to dessert including appetizers, dips, casseroles, cakes, and more. | European-style cream cheese |
| Hodge Podge | Wild Aged Tomme-style (firm to semi-hard) | Several milk varieties (Monforte's answer to what to do with surplus milk. | Coming Soon | Wild aged Tomme will combine several milks and have a layer of peppercorns in the centre. It's creamy white with butterscotch notes and a medium density | Great addition to a cheese board. | N/A |
| Manchego | Manchego-style (semi-firm to hard) | Sheep | 3 months | Intense, zesty taste and a crumbly texture that's rich, full and slightly salty at the finish. | Popular ingredient in Spanish tapas. Manchego can be enjoyed as is, or pairs well with sun-dried tomatoes, olives or figs, as well as nuts like almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts. | Spanish Manchego |
| Memelette | French Mimolette-style (firm) | Water Buffalo | 6 months | Sharp, cheddary and slightly earthy. The vibrant orange colour comes from annatto, a South American seed, which also adds a hint of nutty sweetness. | Perfect on cheese boards, grated on salads and over meats. | Mimolette |
| Nocino | Semi-firm | Water Buffalo | Coming Soon | Water buffalo cheese with fenugreek. It has a beautiful nutty walnut and caramel flavour. | Great addition to a cheese board. | N/A |
| Paradiso | Semi-soft, surface ripened | Sheep | Coming Soon | A musty aroma and buttery texture, leading to a complex array of lingering herbal-to-meaty and lactic, tart flavours. | Great addition to a cheese board. | N/A |
| Piacere | Semi-soft | Water Buffalo | Coming Soon | Aged like a Fleur de Marquis, the rind is coated in rosemary, summer savoury, and a sprinkle of chili flakes for just a touch of heat. | Piacere works beautifully in omelettes, souffles, as the base of any grilled cheese, or as an addition to a cheese board. | N/A |
| Tomme Forte | Very hard | Cow | 6 months | Flavour is sharp and piquant. Granular interior and hard brittle rind. Nutty and complex, perfectly aged | Grate over pastas or use as you would use Parmesan cheese. | Parmesan |
| Toscano | Tomme de Savoir-style (firm) | Sheep | Coming Soon | Wild aged sheep's milk cheese. Its running acid adds bite to the tanginess of the sheeps milk. The rind is brushed and while edible will have a strong, musty flavor that might be too strong for some. | Grate over pastas or use as you would use Parmesan cheese. | Italian Toscano or Parmesan |
| Waltzing Matilda | Camembert-style (semi-soft) | Water Buffalo | Coming Soon | This cheese has a delicate layer of ash under it’s bloomy rind and ages beautifully and becomes supple and creamy in their hinter years (weeks). Honey pairs perfectly with their nutty flavor. | Great addition to a cheese board | N/A |
| Plain Jane | Chevre-style (Soft) | Goat | Fresh, ready to eat | Creamy, tangy and smooth. | Use to spread on crostini, bagels with lox, used in desserts, sauces, in pasta dishes or to top proteins. | Great substitute for traditional Chevre. |
| Goat Chevre Lemon Succor | Lemon flavoured Chevre-style (Soft) | Goat | Fresh, ready to eat | Monforte added lemon zest and lemon oil to their Plain Jane chevre to make this lemon flavoured Chevre. | Perfect match for smoked fish and brunch. | |
| Halloumi | Halloumi-style | Water Buffalo | Fresh, ready to eat | Unlike the heavily-salted variety you’re apt to find in a grocery store, Monforte's is carefully low in salt. | Best used with salads and sandwiches, Monforte halloumi is made to be pan-seared to a golden brown. It’s even better marinaded! | Great substitute for traditional Greek Halloumi |
100km Foods carries a wide variety of Monforte cheeses, both aged and fresh. A must-try is their Tomme, a wild-aged cow cheese with a firm texture.
There’s also their Chevre, which is incredibly fresh and beautifully simple.
We’ve been working with Monforte Dairy for quite some time now, and we are so excited to continue to grow our businesses together and bring you an amazing array of cheeses crafted by such a passionate team.
Located along the banks of Eastern Ontario’s Mississippi River, Back Forty Artisan Cheese is a small farm and sheep dairy processor. Established in 2000, Back Forty was amongst the first sheep's milk cheese producers in the country.
All of the raw sheep milk they use to craft their traditional unpasteurized cheeses comes from five carefully selected nearby family-run farms.
Back Forty believes in a more traditional, hands-on approach to cheese making. They are a small owner-operated business with a primary goal of providing unique and great tasting cheeses that capture the terroir and flavor of the rustic and beautiful Ottawa valley.
With a core focus on animal welfare, land stewardship, quality home grown feed and pasture, these farms are able to achieve the highest quality milk, which is carefully refined into the most delicious cheese through the natural process of fermentation.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Bonnechere | Semi-firm, toasted rind, lightly pressed | Raw Ewes Milk | Coming Soon | Moderate aroma of smouldering wood due to the rind being toasted over an open flame before aging. Long finish with flavours of citrus and slightly sour hickory smoke. Ultimately a gentle but expressive cheese. | Excellent on a cheese board. | N/A |
| Flower Station | Semi-firm, uncooked, unpressed - Feta-style cheese | Raw Ewe's Milk | Coming Soon | A real wake up for the taste buds of those used to pasteurized cow milk Feta and provide an authentic taste of the Mediterranean. | Great uesd in any way you would use Greek feta. This feta-style cheese is a firmer cheese making it great for frying. | Greek Feta |
| Highland Blue | Semi-firm, unpressed | Raw Ewe's Milk | Coming Soon | Fine blue-green veins throughout a moist cohesive, old-ivory coloured paste. Aromas are of damp slate and herbs (sage, marjoram). The cheese is full-flavoured, earthy and savoury with less salt and acidity than many blues. | Pairs beautifully with honey, dried fruits, walnuts, figs and pear. Try crumbling over salads, crostinis, or melted over a nice steak. | Blue Cheeses |
| Pecorino Verona | Semi-firm | Sheep | 8-15 months | Semi-firm, toasted rind, lightly pressed. Although subtle, the raw sheep milk and prolonged maturing provide a complexity of flavour – sweet and nutty with underlying earth tones. |
Delicious grated over top of vegetables, salads or pasta dishes. | Italian Pecorino |
| Madawaska | Semi-soft | Raw Ewe's Milk | Coming Soon | A beautiful bloomy cheese with thick, cream-coloured surface flora, and a paste that’s chalky white at the heart and flowing ivory near the rind. Delicate, citric yogurt aromas lead to a melting sweetly mineral finish. | Delicious addition to a cheese board paired with jams, dried fruits, and honey. | Brie |
| Ompah | Semi-firm, washed rind | Raw Ewe's Milk | 3-5 months | Ompah is a complex raw milk cheese and rich in flavor. Its pungent aromatic rind nicely compliments the meaty, smooth body. Frequent rind washings encourage the growth of brevibacterium linens (b-linens) which is the natural and desirable mold responsible for the characteristic orange rind, smell and flavour. |
Delicious addition to a cheese board paired with jams, dried fruits, and honey. | N/A |
The rugged Bonnechere River and the mysterious Bonnechere Caves are unique landmarks of the Ottawa Valley. A distinct feature of Back Forty's Bonnechere is the rind that is toasted over an open flame before aging. This painstaking process, traditional for certain Basque cheeses, imparts a delicious caramel essence which permeates the body of the cheeses as it ages, and provides a delicious contrast to the tangy and fruity body of the cheese.
Flower Station is another must-try cheese in the Back Forty line. Named after the picturesque hamlet in Lanark County, Back Forty's Flower Station will be a real wake up for the taste buds of those used to pasteurized cow milk Feta and provide an authentic taste of the Mediterranean!
A tangy and rich blue cheese, their Highland Blue has a natural rind and delicate overtones of blue mold, combined with butter and mushroom. It is full-flavoured, earthy and savoury with less salt and acidity than many blues. Named for the beautiful Lanark Highlands and the many Scots who settled the Ottawa Valley area.The Highland Blue is a Royal Winter Fair ribbon winner!
Lastly, their Madawaska cheese is a beautiful rustic bloomy rind cheese with a range of tastes and textures. From a chalky, slightly tangy centre to a soft, sweet and slightly salty cream under the rind, this cheese has a truly unique flavour and texture profile. Named after the magnificent and rugged Madawaska River in the Ottawa Valley.
Back Forty has a small shop and patio at their dairy that is open during summer season so make sure you make it out for a visit and to try their incredible cheeses if you find yourself in the Ottawa Valley.
Blyth Farm Cheese is a family-run farm business located near Lake Huron with a Master Cheese Maker, Paul Van Dorp, at the helm of the operation. Originally from Holland, Paul furthered his cheese-making skills by studying at Guelph University before eventually starting Blyth Farm in 2011.
Paul Van Dorp and Sarah Reid craft excellent artisanal cheeses made with fresh Ontario sheep milk from Paul’s family farm. They produce traditional Dutch Gouda-style cheeses, made with sheep’s milk instead of cow’s milk.
The sheep's milk adds a richness and depth of flavour that is characteristic of their wide range of Goudas!
Everything from the farming, to the cheese making, to the packing, is done right on our farm.
Please note that Blyth products require a longer lead time than our other cheeses. If you're interested in ordering cheeses from Blyths, please reach out to your sales rep.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Golden Blyth's Eweda | Gouda-style (semi-soft) | Sheep | 7 months | This delicious sheep Gouda is rich and has a really nice natural sweetness. It has a soft mouthfeel. | Beautiful addition to a cheese board. | Spanish Compte de la Comptesse |
| Golden Blyth's Aged | Gouda-style (semi-firm) | Sheep | 1 year | Unique taste is pleasantly surprising. Velvety smooth, very creamy and mild. Washed rind using milk from their own herd. | Beautiful addition to a cheese board. | N/A |
| Golden Blyth's Smoked Goat | Gouda-style (semi-soft) | Sheep | 7 months | Blyth's Eweda, naturally smoked with Applewood for an enhanced flavour. | Beautiful addition to a cheese board, casseroles or to top a burger. | Smoked Gouda |
| Queen Bee | Gouda-style (semi-soft) | Sheep | 2-3 months | This sweet cheese has it's rind washed with honey wine, or mead, giving it a subtle, sweet taste and a softer, creamy texture. Mild in flavour and naturally sweetened with a slight kick! | Beautiful addition to a cheese board. | Mead soaked Gouda |
| Drunken Gouda | Gouda-style (semi-soft) | Sheep | 2-3 months | Red wine and cheese combined the two to give you a unique experience in the Drunken Ram. Blyth's Drunken Ram cheese is beautifully aromatic and soaked in Merlot which you can taste in the flavour profile of this delicious cheese. | Beautiful addition to a cheese board. | Wine soaked Gouda |
| Blyth's Jalapeno | Gouda-style (semi-soft) | Sheep | 3 months | Made with green, red, orange, yellow and black Jalapeno flakes, this cheese has a hot and spicy aftertaste. | Great in sandwiches, to top burgers or to add some heat to a cheese board. | Spiced Gouda |
Described by Blyth's as "goat cheese with the volume turned down", their Blyth's Eweda Gouda is sweet and velvety, the perfect sheep cheese for a sweet and subtle flavour. Eweda won 1st place at the Royal Winter Fair 2022.
Next up is "mozzarella's hotter cousin", Blyth's Queen Bee cheese is mild in flavour and naturally sweetened with a slight kick! Queen Bee won an award at the SIAL Canada Cheese Competition this past summer.
Dubbed the go-to cheese for "wine connoisseurs", Blyth's Drunken Ra cheese is beautifully aromatic and soaked in Merlot which you can taste in the flavour profile of this delicious cheese.
Lastly, a round-up of Blyth's must-tries wouldn't be complete without their Golden Blyth Aged. This cheese packs a punch with a robust flavour and is one of my favourite cheeses in their line! This aged Eweda placed 2nd in its category at the 2022 Royal Winter Fair.
Blyth’s Cheese was some of the first cheese we ever carried at 100km Foods.
Stonetown Cheese has a simple motto: "Life is great. Cheese makes it better."
At Stonetown Cheese, Hans and Jolanda Weber share in this sentiment. In fact, it is this belief, along with farming, that motivated them to immigrate to Canada in 1996.
With their three children, they began a new life in St. Marys, Ontario where they started their own dairy farm. Having previously worked in the Swiss Alps, it was always their dream to produce delicious, high quality cheese reminiscent of the renowned Swiss Mountain cheeses and made from their own milk.
With a profound commitment to creating cheese of the highest quality, the support of their family and Swiss Master Cheese Maker, Ramon Eberle, their humble dream became a reality in 2015.
Stonetown's cheeses are handcrafted, alpine-style cheeses. This means they are low in sodium and made with fresh whole cow’s milk. They use unpasteurized, additive-free cow's milk from their family farm to obtain a superior taste. This ensures the cheese is pure, natural and of the highest quality.
Their commitment to produce high quality cheese is best reflected in the care they give to their Holstein cows. They live in a clean and comfortable free-stall barn, sleep year round on beach sand, and enjoy the best quality feed.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Wildwood | Swiss-style cheese | Cow | 8-12 months | Semi-soft cheese, from unpasteurized cow milk. It has a natural zesty flavour from being smeared with wine yeast. | Works well on rustic bread, by iteself on a cheese platter with fruits, or in a grilled cheese sandwich. | Appenzeller |
| Grand Trunk | Gruyere-Style | Cow | 3 months | The age of consumption of this cheese varies from a more mild cheese with a 3-month ripening process, compared to a stronger cheese with tons of flavor, which can take up to 6-9 months.Pairs well with both red and white wines. | Tastes great by itself, or just simply melted on bread, or to top French onion soup, eggs etc. | Swiss Gruyere |
| Game Changer | Red Wine-Soaked Alpine-style cheese (semi-soft) | Cow | 3 months | Red Game Changer is a hand crafted alpine cheese produced from fresh unpasteurized cow milk. Right in the brine bath the cheese is soaked in Red Game Changer wine from Vineland Estates Winery, vacuum sealed and ripened for 3 months until it develops a mild, buttery, milky flavour with a hint of red wine. The distinct wine influences on flavour and aroma are more pronounced nearest the rind, diminishing towards the centre. The mild flavour finishes as well as it starts, lingering long afterwards, prolonging the pleasure. The mouth feel of this semi-soft cheese is wonderfully smoth and creamy. | It tastes great on a cheese platter with fruits and nuts or just as a snack. Red Game Changer pairs well with red wine. | N/A |
| Homecoming | Tilsit-style (semi-soft) | Cow | 3-4 months | This is a typical smooth tasting cheese with a mild and natural milky flavor. | Tastes delicious on a slice of rustic bread, or as a pizza topping. | N/A |
| Farmstead Emmental | Semi-firm | Cow | 3-5 months | Natural sweet, yet somehow also savoury, nutty flavour. | Emmenthal has very good melting properties, which makes it ideal for cheese fondue or any dish that requires melted cheese, such as gratins and casseroles, grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta, and egg dishes. | Swiss Emmental |
| Farmstead Fontina | Fontina-style, baby swiss | Cow | 3 months | Baby Swiss is a hand crafted alpine cheese produced from fresh unpasteurized cow milk. The milk will still contain its original composition when used for the cheese making process. The aroma of the interior paste is mild with a slight natural milky buttery note. This cheese leaves a lingering creaminess on the palate. | Baby Swiss tastes great in sandwiches or on a cheese platter with fruits and nuts. It melts really well which makes it a perfect pizza topping, add into lasagnas, mac and cheese or in grilled cheese sandwiches. | Italian Fontina |
Stonetown's Wildwood cheese is a crowd favourite amongst 100km Foods customers, and for a good reason. Wildwood is a beautiful semi-soft cheese that has a natural zesty flavour from being smeared with wine yeast. Works well on rustic bread, by itself on a cheese platter with fruits, or in grilled cheese sandwiches. Pair with a smooth red wine.
Grand Trunk is Cheesemaker Hans' favourite cheese. He loves it so much, he has it with breakfast every morning. This Gruyere-style cheese is firm with a distinctive salty flavour. Tastes great by itself, or just simply melted on bread. Pairs well with both red and white wines.
Next up is one of our best Stonetown sellers, and first place winner at the 2018 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Stonetown's Farmstead Emmental. This firm cheese is aged 3-5 months and has a natural sweet, yet somehow also savoury, nutty flavour.
Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese is a small, artisanal dairy located in Woodstock, Ontario owned by Shep Ysselstein. Shep crafts small-batch cheeses made with a marked Swiss influence. His family has been farming in the region since the 1950s.
Shep sources all the milk for their line of Gunn's Hill cheeses from his family farm.
Check out this video to get a behind the scenes look at their cheese production process!
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Handeck | Comte (semi-firm) | Cow | 12 months | This is a hand-crafted washed rind cow's milk cheese that is produced using the same methods as a typical Swiss mountain style cheese. It is delicately aged for 12 months on cedar wood planks, adding robust flavours. It's a drier hard cheese with very rich and complex flavours, and nutty overtones. It pairs well with red wines and dark roasted beers. | Try using in place of Parmesan in pastas and risottos, polenta, fondue, and casseroles. | Comte and Parmesan substitute |
| Dark Side of the Moo | Beer-soaked cheese (semi-soft) | Cow | 3 months | Acidity at the finish. Soaked in a chocolate stout from Upper Thames Brewing Company, to create a cheese that highlights to local culinary creativity in Oxford. |
Melts well, excellent to add some depth of flavour from the beer to a fondue. | N/A |
| "Five Brothers" Surface Ripened Swiss-Style Cheese | Semi-soft | Cow | 8 months | This is a hand crafted washed rind cow's milk cheese that combines traits from Gouda and another Swiss variety called Appenzeller. It is delicately aged for 8 months on cedar wood planks, adding robust flavours to the cheese. It's creamy and rich with sweet overtones. | Beautiful melting qaulities making it well suited for fondues, cheese sauces, and served on its own on a cheese board. | Gouda & Appenzeller |
| Smoked "Five Brothers" Surface Ripened Swiss-Style Cheese | Semi-soft | Cow | 8 months | This is a hand crafted washed rind cow's milk cheese that combines traits from Gouda and another Swiss variety called Appenzeller. It is delicately aged for 8 months on cedar wood planks, adding robust flavours to the cheese. It's creamy and rich with sweet overtones and distinctive eyes throughout the body, but with a very smooth, naturally smoky flavour. | Try Smoked Five Brothers in casseroles, Mac n' Cheese, fondues, cheese sauces. | Gouda & Appenzeller |
| Brigid's Brie | Soft | Cow | 6 weeks | A soft surface ripened cheese made with cow's milk from Gunn’s Hill family farm. This brie is free of stabilizers and preservatives and thus sold with a 'best between' date for your enjoyment. Each batch is aged six weeks and is delicately handled to preserve it's creamy centre. | Best enjoyed on it's own or with a flavoured jelly such as red pepper jelly. | French Brie |
| Buffalo Bliss | Soft | Water Buffalo | 6 weeks | Soft ripened brie cheese made with creamy buffalo milk from Hope Artisan Dairy Co-Op in Alymer. | Best enjoyed on it's own or with a flavoured jelly | French Brie |
| Oxford Harvest "Moo Brew" | Mutchli-style (semi-soft) | Cow | 3 months | It is a mild, creamy cheese with buttery flavours. It is rubbed with an espresso blend from Early Bird Coffee in Woodstock. | A unique addition to a cheese board. Excellent for serving on its own, but also has wonderful melting qualities. | N/A |
If you've never tried Gunn's Hill Brigid's Brie, you're missing out on true brie perfection! This soft surface-ripened cheese is made with cow's milk and is is free of stabilizers and preservatives. This is why it's sold with a 'best between' date, with every batch aged six weeks to preserve it's creamy centre.
Handeck is one of Gunn's Hill's most popular cheese with 100km Foods customers. This cheese was named after the town in Switzerland where Shep studied cheese making. Handeck is a Swiss-style, hand-crafted, washed rind cow's milk cheese, that is delicately aged on cedar wood planks giving the cheese a robust flavour.
5 Brothers is another must-try! This cow's milk cheese is a hybrid between a Gouda and an Appenzeller. It is also aged on cedar wood planks, like the Handeck, but has a creamier texture, rich flavors with sweeter overtones.
Best Baa Dairy is a small dairy in Fergus, Ontario owned by Peter and Nicole Bzikot. In 1998, they moved their flock from Manitoba to Ontario. After researching European production of sheep's milk cheese, they discovered their flock was the best breed to produce milk for cheese!
Sheep's milk retains the same volume when turned into cheese, which removes the need for thickeners. It's a great alternative for those who are sensitive to cow's milk.
Best Baa Dairy uses non-homogenized ewe's milk as the basis for most of their cheeses, and source their milk from within 100km of their facility!
They source milk from farmers who pasture-feed their flocks in the warmer months and supply them with alfalfa hay in winter. They don't supplement their diets with corn or soy products. Their packaging is recyclable and BPA free.
They also prioritize animal welfare in their production and understand that they are stewards of the land. They utilize the 'Five Freedoms' guidelines for their herd, which comprises of freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from fear and disease; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain and injury; and freedom to express natural, normal behaviour.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Feta | Greek-style Feta (semi-soft) | Ewe | Fresh & ready to eat | The flavour of this feta cheese is both tangy and full with subtle hints of lemon. Sold in brine made from whey created in the cheese making process. | Crumble it over salads and soups, toss it with roasted vegetables, grains, and pastas, and use it in pies and galettes. | Great substitute for traditional Greek-style feta. The texture of this feta is softer than traditional Greek-style feta so avoid pan-frying or baking. |
Their traditional Greek-style feta is truly in a league of its own! It's tangy with subtle hints of lemon, ridiculously delicious on its own and is the perfect addition to enhance virtually any dish.
Lenberg Farms was the original 100-acre goat dairy farm located near Lindsay, Ontario owned by Bruce and Sharon Vandenberg, owners of Mariposa Dairy.
Martin Bons worked a herd of 750 dairy goats on his farm in Holland along with his brother, who raised dairy cattle. Because there was no room to expand his Holland farm, Bons applied for a visa to come to Canada in 2010.
In October of 2015 Bons came to Canada to manage the Vandenberg herd, supplying the goat milk for Mariposa Dairy and in 2018, Martin and his wife Sonja took ownership of the farm.
All Mariposa cheeses are Ontario goat and sheep milk “Celebrity” style cheeses. They add sea salt to bring out the delicate flavour of the cheese and all cheeses are animal rennet free.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Linsday | Hand-crafted Clothbound Cheddar-style | Goat | 12 months | Earthy, nutty, and slightly crumbly cheese. It has the sought after crystallization of a well aged cheddar. Each wheel is placed on a pine board in their humidity controlled aging room and turned each week to assure even aging over 12 months. | Make an amazing Mac & Cheese or warm winter soup. | Aged Cheddar |
| Tania | Tosanco-style (firm) | Sheep | 6 months | Mild, sweet, yet nutty flavor. | Grate over pasta, roasted vegetables, or potatoes | Toscano |
| Celebrity Goat | Chevre-style (soft) | Goat | Fresh, ready to eat | This cheese is creamy, mild, slightly tangy, and fresh. | Excellent in salads, spread on crackers or crostini, in baking, omlettes etc. | Chevre |
Mariposa's Lenberg Farms Lindsay Bandaged Cheddar is a small batch, hand-crafted cheese made from premium goat's milk. Made in the old world way by wrapping the cheddar wheel with cheesecloth to help to age and preserve the flavour. They age the cheese on pine boards yielding an earthy, nutty, and slightly crumbly cheese.
Mariposa's 'Celebrity' goat cheese is also an absolute must-try. Made with 100% pure goat’s milk. This cheese is creamy, mild, slightly tangy, and fresh, perfect to spread on a cracker or crumbled on a salad. Celebrity's goat cheese is made with pasteurized goat's milk, sea salt, potassium sorbate, microbial enzyme, bacterial culture.
Cheese-making consultant Margaret Peters Morris opened Glengarry Fine Cheese in Lancaster, Ontario across the road from her family farm in 2008. This fulfilled a lifelong dream and complemented her cheese making supply business which operates adjacent to the cheese plant.
Margaret began making cheese from the farm milk back in the early 1990's. The overall love of cheese in her family propelled Margaret’s interest to add more varieties to the repertoire with trips abroad to learn more about farmstead cheese-making and eventually developing recipes that are the basis of the varieties produced in the plant today. To have an artisan plant was Margaret’s dream and is now her life’s vocation, to be on a farm making cheese in the county where she grew up.
At Glengarry Fine Cheese, they combine their love of cheese-making in every batch and they carefully age their cheese in European designed aging rooms that provide the ambiance that refine their cheeses.
The milk used for the wide range of cheese comes from their family farm. Their herd of Brown Swiss cattle produces A1 milk year round. In recent years, the cheese factory’s production has expanded to include a line of cheeses made from Ontario goat milk.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Aged Lankaaster | Gouda-style (Hard) | Cow | 10-12 months | The cheese is shaped as a loaf to express the fact that it is meant to be sliced and eaten directly on bread as the Dutch farmers do. It has a unique profile that is given by the specific starter culture we use and makes it typical of cheeses made on Dutch farms earlier in the century | Fantastic grated over salads or pasta dishes, or melted on top of meat. | Aged Dutch Goudas |
| Celtic Blue | Soft | Cow | 2-3 months | The Celtic Blue is a soft creamy blue cheese, with delicate blue veining and a limestone coloured natural rind which is developed by specific ripening cultures. The typical blue taste is mild and not aggressive and is softened by a nice buttery aroma. |
Pairs beautifully with earthy flavours of beets and mushrooms, and a delicious addition to salads. Try melting over steak or burgers. | Blue Cheeses |
| Celtic Blue Reserve | Soft | Cow | 2-3 months | The Celtic Blue is a soft creamy blue cheese, with delicate blue veining and a limestone coloured natural rind which is developed by specific ripening cultures. Extra cream is added to the batch of Celtic Blue Reserve compared to Celtic Blue to make the blue cheese smooth and creamy, with a less pungent and more approachable flavour profile. |
Pairs beautifully with earthy flavours of beets and mushrooms, and a delicious addition to salads. Try melting over steak or burgers. | Blue Cheeses |
| Fleur-en-Lait | French-style (semi-soft) | Cow | 3 months | It is a semi-soft cheese, with a thin bright orange washed rind. Its rind pungency envelops the delicate but robust sweet and fruity flavored interior. | Coming soon | N/A |
| Figaro | French-style (soft) | Cow | 3 weeks | Made in the tradition of Chaource cheese from the Champagne region of France, this cheese is a soft surface-ripened lactic cow cheese. It’s got a mild milky and fresh taste when the cheese is young, but becomes more intense when aged to 6 weeks. | Great spreadable cheese for a cheese board, to serve on a crostini, and pairs beautifull with fruit. | French Chaource |
The first must-try cheese from Glengarry would have to be their soft, lactic, bloomy rind cheese, Figaro. Made in the tradition of Chaource cheese from the Champagne region of France, Figaro’s milky, fresh taste and delicate texture truly sets it apart. You can enjoy it young (aged 3 weeks) when the flavour is quite mild or aged (6 weeks) where the yeasty rind intensifies the flavor.
Next, their Aged Lankaaster is a firm cheese aged 8-12 months that is shaped as a loaf. According to Glengarry, this is to express the fact that it is meant to be sliced and eaten directly on bread as the Dutch farmers do! It has mild to medium flavour that sweetens over time and develops a hint of nuttiness.
Lastly, this round-up wouldn’t be complete without Glengarry’s Celtic Blue! Aged 2-3 months, the Celtic Blue is a soft and creamy blue cheese. The typical blue cheese taste is rather mild in the Celtic Blue, softened by a buttery aroma.
Located in Vaughan, Quality Cheese is owned and operated by Albert, Joseph and William Borgo - AKA the Borgo Brothers. They specialize in making award winning traditional Italian style cheeses.
The passion they have for cheese making truly translates into the exceptional quality — pun intended — of Quality Cheese cheeses.
Quality Cheese uses only the freshest milk and ingredients in their cheese production process. They pay careful attention to every detail, and use the best practices and techniques to make fantastic local Italian-style cheeses!
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Stracchino | Soft | Cow | Fresh & ready to eat | Soft, smooth, shiny white exterior. White interior with slight openness. Creamy and mild with a delicate hint salt. | Excellent with vegetables with a bitter-ish flavor such as radicchio, artichokes, and chicory. This cheese is also perfect in combination with cold cuts or sausages that have an intense flavor, such as speck. | Italian Stracchino |
| Straciatella | Soft | Cow | Fresh & ready to eat | A fresh cheese with a soft, smooth exterior and a creamy, textured center. The tasty inside of a burrata! Sweet and creamy, ready to eat fresh and best served at room temperature. | Spoon some stracciatella onto a plate, add a sprinkling of sea salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve with crusty bread. | Italian Straciatella |
| Buffalo Mozzarella | Soft | Buffalo | Fresh & ready to eat | Soft, milky white, smooth exterior, uniform to slightly mottled interior. Sweet, rich milky flavor, delicately salted. | Use it in a classic Caprese salad, pair it with baby arugula or spinach and seasonal fruit, such in a salad or add it to a sandwich with crusty bread. | Italian Buffalo Mozzarella |
| Burrata | Soft | Cow | Fresh & ready to eat | Soft, smooth exterior with a textured, creamy center. Sweet and creamy flavour | Add it to pastas, salads, or serve alongside tomatoes, grilled bread, or roasted vegetables. | Italian Burrata |
| Ricotta | Soft & Creamy | Cowe | Fresh, ready to eat | White to off white body, rind less, slight openness, and pasty wet texture. Sweet & creamy. | Lasagna, pastas, pizza, baking etc. | Italian Ricotta |
The first Quality Cheese must-try would have to be their Bella Casa Burrata. This fresh cheese has the most perfect sweet flavour, soft smooth exterior and a textured, creamy centre.
Next, their Bella Casa Ricotta is another favourite! Their sweet, creamy ricotta is made with pasteurized whey, pasteurized buffalo milk, citric acid, and salt. Simple ingredients paired with expert craftsmanship yield this incredible cheese. Perfect in stuffed pastas!
Bright Cheese and Butter is the oldest surviving dairy producing cheddar in Ontario. It began as a group of farmers who wanted to use up a surplus of milk from production. By the 1900s, cheddar cheese was actually Canada’s second biggest export!
At that time, over 1,242 cheddar factories existed in Ontario, Bright’s Dairy being one of the many. Though much has changed since then, Bright’s Dairy still operates out of the very same factory they have since 1874!
Bright Cheese & Butter follows conventional growing practices using local ingredients. They are well known for producing all natural, naturally-aged cheese made with 100% local milk using traditional methods.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Medium White Cheddar | Cheddar | Cow | 3-9 months | Slightly buttery, moist and melty. | Multi-purpose cheddar. Ideal for sandwiches, to top burgers, grilled cheese etc. | European Cheddar |
| Old Orange Cheddar | Cheddar (very firm) | Cow | 10-17 months | Orange in colour with a strong flavour profile, with a more distinguished taste and a slightly crumbly texture. | Excellent for cheese boards and grilled cheese sandwiches. | European Cheddar |
| Old White Cheddar | Cheddar (very firm) | Cow | 10-17 months | White and creamy. Strong flavour profile, with a more distinguished taste and a slightly crumbly texture. | Excellent to add to cheese boards or premium grilled cheese sandwiches, casseroles or shaved into salads. | European Aged Cheddar |
| Colby Cheese | Firm | Cow | Ready to eat | Colby is generally milder, sweeter, and less acidic than a young cheddar. Has a buttery finish and open texture. | Because of its mild flavor, Colby is seldom used in cooking. Instead, it is typically used as a table cheese and in snacks, sandwiches, and salads. It can also be grated and combined with other cheeses for use on pizza. | N/A |
| Hot Pepper Brick | Semi-soft | Cow | Ready to eat | Creamy white with flecks or red and green peppers. Mild to moderate degree of heat. It's also great on a sandwich for some extra spice or a cracker with sweet preserves. | Try adding the perfect hint of spice to your cheese tray, favourite creamy soup or pasta. | N/A |
| Monterrey Jack | Semi-soft | Cow | Ready to eat | Light yellow/orange. Mild creamy taste with a bit of tang. | Utility cheese that is usually shredded and put in or on your favourite cheesy dish. | N/A |
| Havarti | Semi-soft | Cow | Ready to eat | Mild flavour with a buttery, sweet taste. | Great in Mac and Cheese, fondue, sandwiches and omelettes. | N/A |
| Mozzarella | Semi-soft | Cow | Ready to eat | Creamy white with a semi-soft texture. Mild creamy taste. | Most popular use is as a pizza or pasta topping. | Italian Mozzarella |
Their aged cheddar cheese is a must-try! It has a strong flavour profile, with a distinguished taste and a slightly crumbly texture. It's an excellent choice for cheese boards or to make the meanest grilled cheese sandwich!
You also can't go wrong with their feta. It's creamy, salty and crumbly, everything you want from a feta-style cheese. Excellent crumbled in salads, stuffed in poultry or sprinkled on pizzas!
The Udder Way Artisan Cheese is an award-winning producer of hand crafted artisan Guernsey and Holstein A2 milk cheeses, located in Hannon, Ontario. They make all of their cheeses by hand, using milk from local farms only, and only adding natural ingredients.
Their cheeses are based on old world recipes and they never compromise on quality. Their goal from the beginning was to make Artisan Cheese approachable and fun for everyone, and to show their customers that great cheese is made with excellent ingredients, patience and attention to detail.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Cabernet Cheddar | Wine infused cheddar (semi-soft) | Guernsey Cow | Minimum 6 months | A traditional cheddar, made with A2 Guernsey milk, that has been infused with Cabernet Sauvignon which gives it its striking marbled look throughout the paste and a earthy, fruity flavour. it is aged for a minimum of 6 months before release. | Excellent for snacking or as a striking feature on charcuterie boards. | English cheddar |
| Caciocavallo | Stretched-curd cheese | A2 Holstein Milk | Minimum 2 months | A traditional Pasta Filata stretched cheese. In its younger form the cheese is a great every day snacking cheese. As it ages, it develops a pronounced sharpness reminiscent of well aged provolones. Awarded 2nd place at the British Empire Cheese Show in 2021, and 2nd at the Royal Fair in 2022. | Great for snacking, it also pan fries extremely well in thick slices. Use in stuffed pastas, in parmasean-style dishes, in pasta casseroles and homemade pizzas. It can be served fresh or aged, cooked on a grill, grated or melted. | Italian Provolone |
| Evi's Passion | Brie (soft) | Guernsey Cow | 3 weeks | Bloomy rind soft cheese in the Brie tradition that is made with A2 Guernsey milk. It has a complex mix of ripening cultures that form the fluffy white rind, and a striking soft yellow paste that is exceptionally creamy and leaves a wonderful buttery/mushroom flavour on the palate. Awarded Bronze at the World Cheese Awards in 2022. | Amazing centerpiece on any cheese board. Also try adding to a burger, crostinis, tarts, & more. | French Brie |
| Flat on Your Baco | Italian Alpine-style (semi-firm) | Guernsey Cow | Minimum 4 months | "Flat On Your Baco" is an Italian Alpine style cheese made from 100% Guernsey Cow's milk and aged in Baco Noir. Its signature velvety purple rind adds flavourful fruity notes to the tangy cheese. Awarded Bronze at the World Cheese Awards in 2022. | Absolute must have on any charcuterie board. | Italian Alpine-style cheeses |
| Kruger Blue | A2 Guernsey Cow | Minimum 4 months | Creamy flavourful blue cheese made with A2 Guernsey milk. The paste of the cheese is overflowing with pockets of penicillium roqueforti, and it has wonderful earthy notes with sharp undertones. It's a blue that everyone needs to try, whether they are lovers of blue or on the fence. Wonderful addition to any charcuterie board. Awarded 1st place at the 2021 British Empire Cheese Show, and Silver at the 2022 World Cheese Awards. | Extremely versatile. Try on a burger, crostini, crumbled into salads. Wonderful addition to any charcuterie board. | European Blue Cheeses | |
| Madagascar Cheddar | Cheddar-style (semi-firm) | Guernsey Cow | 3 months - 2 years | Madagascar cheddar is a green peppercorn, garlic and paprika infused cheddar made with A2 Guernsey milk that has a tangy punch. | Great addition to a cheese board or to spice up a sandwich. | English cheddar |
| Montebello | Alpine-style (semi-soft) | Guernsey Cow | 6-18 months | Montebello is an Alpine style cheese made with A2 Guernsey milk. At 12 to 18 months the cheese has a pleasant sharpness with tangy pear notes. It can be served mild or aged and pairs well with a variety of red wines. Awared Silver at World Cheese Award in 2022. | Great for cheese boards as well as graded for various dishes. | N/A |
| Oveja Negra | Manchego-style | Sheep | Minimum 6 months | A World Award winning sheep milk Mancherino (manchego/pecorino) has complex flavours with just the right amount of sharpness. To be paired with your favorite wines, or as an antipasto to any meal. Awarded 1st place at the 2021 British Empire Cheese show, and Super Gold and Best Canadian cheese overall at the World Cheese Award in 2022. | Popular ingredient in Spanish tapas. Manchego can be enjoyed as is, or pairs well with sun-dried tomatoes, olives or figs, as well as nuts like almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts. | Spanish Manchego, Italian Pecorino |
"Krüger Blue" is our first must-try from Udder Way. A creamy, flavourful blue cheese - the only Guernsey Blue in Ontario! This cheese is the prestigeous 1st place winner of the 2021 British Empire Cheese Show in the Specialty Cheese category and just won the Silver award at the 2022 World Cheese Awards.
"Oveja Negra" is another must-try from Udder Way! Oveja Negra is a sheep's milk Manchego-style cheese with complex flavours and just the right amount of sharpness. This cheese is the prestigeous 1st place winner of the 2021 British Empire Cheese Show in its category and won the Super Gold and Best Canadian Cheese award at the 2022 World Cheese Awards.
Secret Lands is a cheese producer located just south of Owen Sound and are committed to a natural way of making great cheeses using Kefir as a starter culture for all of their cheeses. Secret Lands are the only farmers in Canada using this method.
Combining new technology with old European traditions, Secret Lands is able to produce artisanal cheeses that can only be produced on a small scale. This means they have a direct relationship with all of their products, providing more attention to the quality, taste, and nutritional benefits of everything they make.
As small farmstead producers, Secret Lands have complete control of everything, from farming to milking, from cheesemaking to packaging - all done right on their Farm. Secret Lands Farms have pesticide and hormone-free pastures and fields for their hormone-free sheep. They manage their farm according to the strictest organic principles, but are not organically certified.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Caciotta | Semi-hard, washed rind | Raw Ewe | 6-10 months | The ripening period is brief; yellow rind surrounds a white body with a creamy, firm consistency, providing a flavor that ranges from mild to tangy as it ages. The Caciotta cheese is very flavorful and can be used in various ways, similar to Pecorino. | Extremely versatile, excellent melted on pizza, in quesadillas, omlettes, paninis & more. | Italian Pecorino |
| Pecorino Stagionato | Hard | Raw Ewe | 12 months | Hard and crumbly cheese, with a buttery and nutty flavour. | A little goes a long way to add so much flavor to pastas and salads and definitely a cheese board. | Aged Italian Pecorino |
Secret Lands' Caciotta cheese is a must-try! It is an artisanal, semi-hard, washed rind raw 100% ewe's milk cheese, aged six to ten months. It has a milky, sweet, and tangy flavour unique to caciotta cheese. Definitely deserving of a place on your cheese board!
Wayne Philbrick, Upper Canada's Founding Partner, grew up in Niagara on a peach farm. A lover of fresh, local produce he was fascinated with cheese he had purchased on a trip to Quebec. This planted the seed of his idea for Upper Canada Cheese Company and the artisan cheeses it would craft. When he returned, Wayne began to experiment at home with milk from the local Guernsey herd, located on the Niagara Escarpment.
After arduous trials, two fine cheeses - Niagara Gold and Comfort Cream - were perfected, and the Upper Canada Cheese Company was established in 2005. Today, Upper Canada Cheese Company proudly offers a wide selection of award-winning cheeses made with fresh Guernsey cow's milk, that boasts a high A2 Protein, and wholesome goat milk from local farms right here in Ontario! They are fortunate to be able to use fresh Guernsey milk from the family-owned Comfort Farms, located in St. Ann’s, Ontario, whose generations of farming experience have allowed them to produce high quality, reliable milk all year round.
As artisan cheese makers, Upper Canada Cheese Company pride themselves in making cheese by hand, in small batches, and are committed to the tradition of the cheese maker’s art. Unlike large-scale cheese producers, Upper Canada does not standardize their cheesemaking milk, instead they rely on seasonality and terroir. By doing so, the milk they use is transformed into cheese of unique taste and texture that reveals a subtle range of flavours influenced by the seasons, forage and feed. Each wheel of Upper Canada cheese is produced by hand, ensuring genuine care and quality, but also resulting in cheeses that are more complex in taste.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Niagara Gold | Washed Rind Semi-Firm | Guernsey Cow's Milk | 5 months | Cloaked in its golden, edible rind, this cheese is nutty and earthy, with a slight tang and creamy sweetness. As it ages, watch for it to develop a slight piquancy. Its open, lacy interior melts beautifully; if the best mozzarella and the finest gouda, met, fell in love, and made a baby, it would be Niagara Gold. Warming brings out its subtle saltiness. | Use Niagara Gold where you might use cheddar, mozzarella, or gouda – melted over French onion soup; in a vegetable gratin; for the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich. | Cheddar, Mozzarella, Gouda |
| Nosey Goat | Washed Rind Semi-Firm | Goats Milk | 6 weeks (minimum) | It’s grassy with notes of hay and straw, a mouth-watering umami, and subtle saltiness. Inside it’s creamy with a bouncy texture that melts beautifully. |
With such a beautiful, runny melt, try it broiled atop French onion soup; in a quesadilla with a Canadian twist; or instead of raclette with boiled new potatoes and cornichon. |
Mozzarella, Edam, Gouda |
| Jordan Station | Washed Rind Semi-Firm | Guernsey Cow's Milk | Lightly cold smoked over maple wood, this semi-firm, Gouda-style cow’s milk cheese is fruity, tangy, and a little bit salty. Golden inside, it’s smooth and creamy with some sharpness on the finish. Warming this cheese brings out the smokiness and makes it even creamier. | Best enjoyed at room temperature or warm with crusty bread, cured meats, and eggs. | Smoked Goudas | |
| Heritage Cheddar | Firm, Clothbound Cheddar | Guernsey Cow's Milk | 8 months (minimum) | Heritage Cheddar is mature for its age; buttery and earthy, with that classic aged cheddar sharpness, subtle notes of pineapple, and a delightful crumble. | Use Heritage Cheddar in a beef, ale and cheese pie or stew; bake it into breads and pastries; a few slices will take a classic grilled cheese up several notches. | Cheddar |
| Guernsey Girl | Grilling Cheese | Guernsey Cow's Milk | N/A | Inspired by Scandinavian bread cheese, this firm Guernsey cow’s milk cheese becomes crisp and golden outside, with a soft, slightly salty, squeaky bite when fried or grilled. It’s rich with a sweet cream aroma and not as salty as other grilling cheeses. |
Sliced or cubed it’s lovely and mild at room temperature in salads; cooked in a curry, in place of paneer; or cut into strips for a twist on poutine. Try frying a slab of Guernsey Girl in a splash of olive oil, then deglaze the pan with ouzo, Pernod, or sambuca, and serve with slices of tomato and grilled bread. |
Halloumi, Greek Kefalotyri |
Upper Canada's Niagara Gold is award-winning for a reason and tops the list of our must-tries.This award-winning semi-soft, washed rind cheese is born of time-honoured Trappist monk cheese-making techniques. Twice every week for five months, each cheese is washed in brine, turned, and returned to its place in the aging room. The room is kept at precisely 91 percent relative humidity and 52 degrees Fahrenheit – mimicking as closely as possible, a traditional French aging cellar.
Capella Meadows is a small, certified organic, family farm owned by Erik & Edda Boettcher. Erik & Edda love what they do. Farming is their passion and cheese-making is a way to condense this love and passion into a product so that their customers can taste it.
Erik and Edda oversee a herd of over 200 purebred French Alpine goats and use biodynamic farming principles. At Capella Meadows, Erik and Edda work hard to transform the land they farm into an organism that is self sustainable, respects the nature of their main workers (our goats) and increases organic matter and biodiversity.
This leads to healthier soils, plants, animals and milk. And high quality milk makes high quality cheese.
| Type of Cheese | Style of Cheese | Type of Milk | Age | Tasting Notes | Applications | Suitable Local Substitute for |
| Aged Goat Cheddar | Firm | Organic Goats Milk | 2 years | This cheese is creamy, bright white with a slight tangy flavour.
Capella Meadows cheese can taste very differently depending on the time of production. In summer, when the goats are on pasture they produce a lot of milk and the cheese is firmer and drier. In winter the milk is more concentrated and contains more fat, that makes the cheese creamier. |
The perfect topper for sandwiches and burgers, or a crowd-pleasing addition to any cheese board. | Cheddar |
| Goat Cheddar | Firm | Organic Goats Milk | 1 year | This cheese is creamy, bright white with a slight tangy flavour.
Capella Meadows cheese can taste very differently depending on the time of production. In summer, when the goats are on pasture they produce a lot of milk and the cheese is firmer and drier. In winter the milk is more concentrated and contains more fat, that makes the cheese creamier. |
The perfect topper for sandwiches and burgers, or a crowd-pleasing addition to any cheese board. | Cheddar |
We really have some of the world's best cheeses here in Ontario and this article just scratches the surface of all the incredible local cheese makers!
We hope you find this guide helpful in navigating our cheese offering and helping you plan your cheese offering.
Looking for a local cheese in particular you're not seeing on this list? Reach out to your sales rep or info@100kmfoods.com and we'll see if we can get it for you.
