The search for great tasting cheese has never been so easy! Ontario is home to award-winning cheesemakers who use local milk to craft delicious cheeses from brie to aged old cheddar.
You may never have thought about it, but climate, landscape and growing seasons have an effect on the richness and flavour of local milk. Much like the origin and development of grapes used for wine, the terroir of local Ontario milk further plays a role in the flavour and texture of specialty cheese.
Southeastern Ontario
The plains of the southeastern part of the province host rich farmland and woods, bounded by the Laurentian Highlands, which run from the Upper Ottawa River valley to the St. Lawrence River. Some of Ontario’s oldest Cheddar cheese factories still operating today are found here, including Balderson Cheese, St-Albert Cheese, Maple Dale Cheese and Empire Cheese Cooperative.
In 1881, Balderson Cheese was established by a group of local dairy farmers then known as the Farmer’s Cheese and Butter Association of Balderson, and they were one of twelve cheesemakers that contributed cheese to the fabled 20,000-pound “Mammoth” cheese for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.
Maple Dale Cheese was originally opened as “Zion Cheese Company” in 1888 and is still a family-owned business handcrafting small-batch cheeses today.
Empire Cheese opened its doors in the late 1870s and is still owned by local dairy farmers. Their aged and flavoured Cheddars are a staple in homes across the region.
While heritage Cheddar making is still a vital part of regional cheese craft, artisans like Fifth Town Cheese in Prince Edward County, Glengarry Fine Cheese in Lancaster and Upper Canada Creamery in Iroquois are creating distinctive artisan and farmstead cheeses in classic styles and new favourites using their own recipes.
Must-try cheeses in Southeastern Ontario:
Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
The GTA is home to many fine Italian-style cheesemakers. From exquisite mozzarellas to luscious burrata, aficionados are spoiled by the union of old-world techniques and local milk. While there are few dairy farms in the metro area, fresh local milk is delivered regularly from farms just outside the city and hand-crafted into fine specialty cheese.
Cheesemakers like International Cheese, Ferrante Cheese and Quality Cheese keep home fridges and restaurants well-stocked with an incredible variety of local fresh and aged cheeses like scamorza, romanello, bocconcini, fior di latte, provolone and ricotta, with many also operating wonderful European-style grocery shops full of incredible edibles to complement cheeseboards, special occasions or “just because” feasts.
Must-try cheeses in the GTA:
Niagara Area
There’s no more established and sought-after pairing than fine wine and cheese, so where better than Niagara to find outstanding local Ontario cheese? The region hosts countless travellers from near and far seeking unique Ontario wines and local food experiences. This brings many of them to the door of Upper Canada Cheese, where they’re introduced to award-winning cheeses made with local Guernsey cow milk from a nearby dairy farm.
Not far away, in Simcoe, Ontario, Jensen Cheese carries on a cheesemaking tradition that has stayed in the family for nearly a century. Their aging facility is secreted away underground, where their cheeses age over months or years until they’re ready for tables across the province and beyond.
Must-try cheeses in the Niagara area:
Southwestern Ontario
Travel two hours west from Toronto and you’ll find yourself in Oxford County, the dairy capital of Canada and ground zero for Ontario artisan cheese craft. The region produces more than one billion glasses of fresh local milk each year, and you can even visit a monument to the world-record holder for butterfat, the beautifully-named Springbank Snow Countess in Woodstock, Ontario.
Oxford County is also home to the Oxford County Cheese Trail, where you can wind your way down backcountry roads to discover an incredible array of award-winning farmstead and artisan cheeses like 5 Brothers and Brigid’s Brie from Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese in Woodstock, Black Truffle and Farmstead G.O.L.D. (Good Old Local Dairy) Gouda from Mountainoak Cheese in New Hamburg and incredible Cheddar from Bright Cheese and Butter in Bright, Ontario.
And, while not technically located in Oxford County, the very special Grand Trunk and Wildwood Cheeses from Stonetown Artisan Cheese are just a quick jog away in St. Marys, Ontario.
Must-try cheeses in Southwestern Ontario:
Northern Ontario
You may be surprised to learn that Ontario’s north is home to many dairy farms (though fewer than the south, of course) and rich cheesemaking history. The northeastern part of the region is heavily influenced by French settlement and cheesemaking traditions. Thornloe Cheese in Thornloe, Ontario began as a dairy farmer cooperative and has grown into an award-winning cheesemaker. Many of their cheeses are inspired by the local Temiskaming landscape and are as beautiful as they are delicious. Fromagerie Kapuskoise in Kapuskasing, Ontario also crafts fine cheese influenced by the local Kapuskasing region.
In the Northeast near Thunder Bay, Thunder Oak Cheese Farm is a fan favourite for aged and flavoured Gouda-style cheeses you’ll need to taste to believe.
Must-try cheeses in Northern Ontario: