Savour Ontario Eats – Spotlight on Woodstock & Area

Once the residence of James Harris and family, and home to the James Harris Cheese Factory, then transformed to the Elmhurst Inn and Spa in 1988, this historic landmark is the birthplace of the Canadian commercial cheese industry. Today, you can enjoy à la carte or chef's choice menus for 3 sittings in any of their 10 original 19th century dining rooms. From service, to ambiance, to using only the freshest local ingredients, The Elmhurst offers one of the finest dining experiences in the area. Reservations are available for a night out or weekend brunch but there’s nothing quite like the full experience with a stay at the Inn.

Open 5pm-late, Thursday to Saturday, SixThirtyNine thrives on their unique local food philosophy which above rotating their menu seasonally to incorporate only the freshest local ingredients includes sourcing ALL local dairy! Co-owner and Chef, Eric Boyar, along with co-owner and wife, Jennifer, source all general dairy products from yogurt, to milk, to cream from Hewitt’s Dairy and participate in the Blue Cow program for their weekly butter delivery from Alliston Creamery. Cheesy features from makers like Gunn’s Hill, Mountain Oak, and Bright Cheese and Butter can also be found on their menu. Must-tries include their fresh Five Brothers Cheese Arancinis which stay on the menu year-round and any dish from pasta to apps that features their creamy, delicious house made ricotta!

As the designated eatery and hangout spot for Upper Thames Brewing, Oxford’s first brewery, Brickhouse Brewpub is nothing short of fueled by local. Above locally sourced ingredients found in every menu item, Upper Thames has partnered with local cheesemakers, Gunn’s Hill, to create uniquely curated, washed rind cheese using their handcrafted brew: Dark Side of The Moo - they even have a whole flight dedicated to pairing the cheese and beer! On your next visit, be sure to try some of our favourites, including the Backpaddle Mac & Cheese featuring their Backpaddle cream sauce and Gunn’s hill 5 Brothers cheese or the sharable Charcuterie featuring assorted local cheese, cured meats, vessels for both and accompaniments.

For the past 17 years, Your Farm Market has been providing locally sourced, farm fresh goods year-round to the Woodstock community. Located downtown, with over 40 vendors, YFM has a variety of Ontario made dairy products coming from Oxford and area such as Walker Dairy, Shaw’s Ice Cream, Jensen Cheese, Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese, Bright Cheese & Butter and Mountainoak Cheese.

Located in the heart of the Dairy Capital of Canada, Gunn’s Hill is truly unique with styles and tastes heavily influenced by the experiences of owner and cheesemaker, Shep Ysselstein. All milk is sourced from Ysselsteins neighbouring family farm. Gunn’s Hill cheese can be found in over 300 locations across Ontario, but nothing quite beats heading straight to the source to shop the widest, freshest selection, and taking a tour of the facility.

100% real ice cream made from Canadian dairy isn’t the only thing local coming from Bartley’s Dairy Bar! Since 1971, Bartley’s has been sourcing local additives for your favourite flavours from maple syrup to fresh, Ontario fruits. Open for the season as of March Break, you can enjoy their ice cream and frozen yogurt all the way until the end of the summer!

Introducing the Legen-dairy Springbank Snow Countess monument, Canada’s 1st permanent memorial to a record-breaking cow, and a symbol of Woodstock, Ontario and Oxford County’s strong agricultural interests. In 1933 she broke the world record for butterfat production and held her record for 21 years! The Snow Countess statue is located at the original site of her home, Springbank Farm, known world-wide for their cattle breeding program. Taking a photo with the Snow Countess has become a tradition for visitors to the small city of Woodstock, Ontario.  She is located on the corner of Dundas St and Springbank Ave (don’t worry, there is parking access on Springbank Ave).