Langres - France

Langres is a soft, washed rind cheese from the Champagne region in France. 

One of the huge tenets of pairings is “what grows together, goes together”, and this cheese is a fantastic example of that! The best way to serve this cheese is by pouring some champagne (or any traditional method sparkling wine) over the cheese and enjoying a glass of the wine with it! 

The cheese has a dimple on the top, formally known as the “fontaine” which means fountain. Pour about 4oz (1/2 cup) of the wine onto the cheese and let it flow down around the wheel before you cut into it. The bubbles in the wine balance out the salty, fudgy richness of the cheese and compliment it’s funky, yeasty, biscuity flavour that is concentrated on the rind. 

If you’re planning on entertaining or just want something special to serve as an app, this is the perfect show stopper cheese!! I’m happy to recommend sparkling wines for you if Champagne isn’t quite within your budget this time of year!

Don’t want to serve it with alcohol? No sweat! Langres is also INCREDIBLE when baked like brie or Vacherin Mont d’Or, or even used in classical French dishes such as tartiflette, soufflé, or really anything that necessitates a funky cheese! 

Chevre Poitou au Piment d'Espelette - France

This is a Chevre from the area of Poitou in France in the Loire Valley, which is the KINGDOM of Chevres! 70% of ALL goats milk cheeses in France come from this region, and for good reason: they're outstandingly delicious. Poitou Chevres, one of the more common ones being Chabichou, are made with goats milk sourced less than 50km from the fromagerie, and the milk even used to be called "the White Gold of Poitou" because of its superior quality and flavour! 

This particular chevre is a Petit Chevre that is aged with powdered espelette powder on the rind. Espelette pepper (Piment d'Espelette) is a mild, fruity chili from the Basque region of France, known for its smoky, sweet-heat flavor, offering a distinctive alternative to black pepper in many dishes. 

Not only does the colour of the pepper make this cheese POP on a board, it also adds a fun flair to the already delicious funky goat cheese! I'd rate this funkiness probably a 4/10, so still very approachable for non-hardcore-goat-lovers but would still hit the spot for you hardcore-goat-lovers too!

Sold in 150g wheels, $19.99 each

Delice de Bourgogne - France

This ooey gooey mess (with love) is called DELICE DE BOURGOGNE. It's a Triple Cream cheese from the Burgundy region of France. It's produced by Fromagerie Lincet, where the cheese was created in 1975 by Jean Lincet. The same producer also makes Brillat Savarin, Chaource and Epoisses. 

Délice de Bourgogne is one of those cheeses that feels incredibly luxurious but is ridiculously easy to love. It’s a soft, triple-cream French cheese, which means it has a very high butterfat content, which is super obvious once you taste it. The texture is ultra-smooth, almost like softened butter or lightly whipped cream cheese, and it spreads really easily across bread or crackers.

Flavour wise, it’s mild, rich, and silky, with this addicting tang that keeps it from being too heavy. Think fresh cream, salted butter, and a soft, mushroomy earthiness from the rind. It’s not a funky cheese by any means, so it’s super approachable even if you’re new to soft cheeses.

This is the kind of cheese that makes a simple snack feel fancy - a warm baguette with the cheese spread on it, maybe a drizzle of honey or a slice of pear, and suddenly you’ve got something that tastes like it came from a French bistro. It’s indulgent, comforting, and dangerously easy to keep going back for another bite.

Sold by weight, $9.00/100g

La Tur - Italy

La Tur comes from Piedmont, Italy. It’s a super creamy, soft cheese made from a mix of cow, sheep and goat milk!

This cheese can be described as an earthier, funkier brie with a bit of a tang from the goats milk! I find mixed milk cheeses so exciting - it’s like getting the best of all the worlds! Definitely best on a cheese board and served with a sparkling wine (ideally something from Piedmont - because ya know, what grows together goes together 😜)

The rind is stunning - all wrinkled and rippley - which comes from the bloomy rind on the cheese. The white “fuzz” comes from (purposely selected) bacteria that eats some of the outer part of the cheese, and creates a thin rind, which is arguably the best part of the cheese!

Because the cheese is quite tangy, it pairs beautifully with your favourite spreads - anything sticky and sweet makes for a perfect treat!! I'd almost describe this cheese as somewhere between a French goat cheese and Taleggio from Italy - it has a funk to it, but nothing outrageous, it has a fruity/yeasty/funky flavour which is mostly concentrated on the rind, and has a nice and soft texture without being runny. 

Sold in 150g wheels, $18.99

Robiola Roccaverano - Italy

Made in the rugged hills near the city of Asti in Piedmont, this is (ROBIOLA) ROCCAVERANO and one of Italy's historic goat cheeses that was actually the first one to achieve PDO status! 

This cheese is right in the sweet spot for those French Chevre lovers. It has the right amount of funk, probably a 5/10 on the funky scale, but it also has such a fresh, yogurty, salty, butter flavour kind of vibe. It's gooey at fridge temperature, and is just divine. It's creamy, it's goaty, it's gooey, it's lucsious, it is just a darn treat to eat!

Robiola is a broad name for tons of different types of cheeses from around Italy, but mainly around the Northern parts, namely Piedmont, Lombardy and the Aosta valley. Robiolas are generally very soft and creamy, and made with any combination of milks. Due-latte means two, and tre-latte means three! The cheeses are always very young - aged anywhere between 5-15ish days, they're so soft and ooey gooey and creamy and delicious!

Sold in 200g wheels:

• Full wheel, $23.99

• Half wheel, $12.99

Oveja Black Garlic Manchego - Spain

This is Oveja con Ajo Negro, aka Manchego with Black Garlic. The Oveja line from the producer Vega Sotuelamos is one of my favourites, because they're just so darn pretty!  

Oveja means "sheep" in Spanish, and that's exactly the type of milk these cheeses are made from. Made with the same process as Manchego, this particular cheese is layered with beautiful veins of Black Garlic paste to give it a really smooth, slightly sweet flavour to the sharp and salty cheese. 

Black Garlic, for those who have never tried it before, is fresh garlic that has been aged under controlled heat and humidity, transforming its cloves into a dark, soft, and caramelized version of the original. This process enhances its natural sugars and amino acids, creating a complex flavor profile; it's sweet and tangy, with notes of molasses, balsamic vinegar, tamarind, and garlic (obviously)!

Officially, this cheese is not called Manchego because Manchego is a PDO (protected) cheese which needs to follow rigorous rules to achieve the name. Since this cheese has additional flavours added, it can't be called Manchego at all!

Sold by weight, $8.30/100g

Oveja Rosemary - Spain

This is ROMERO, a rosemary coated Manchego from La Mancha region of Spain. It’s aged for 12 months and has a decadently nutty flavour which is complimented by the fresh Spanish rosemary. 

Once the cheese is formed, the wheel is coated in butter and fresh rosemary to infuse, and is periodically wiped off and fresh rosemary & butter are applied. This gives the cheese a deep herbal flavour which is just absolutely scrumptious!

If you’re looking for something different and intense, this is your cheese. It also has the bonus feature of being kind of colourful (compared to other "plain" cheeses) and makes for a visually exciting option on your cheese board!

Sold in 250g wheels, $18.99 each

Flocon de Savoie - France

Flocon de Savoie is a cute little wheel of pasteurized cows milk cheese made in the Savoie region by Fruitières Chabert. It's light and delicate, with a thin, soft rind and slightly oozy paste. It's a small little round of creamy goodness that's super people-friendly and as a mild, milky, slightly salty, slightly tangy flavour. Use this in place of Reblochon for a less-funky but just as tasty version of Tartiflette! Or, if you've been craving St. Marcellin, this would also melt like a buttery dream! 

Sold in 120g wheels, $14.99 each

Pacific Wildfire - British Columbia

Pacific Wildfire comes from Natural Pastures in British Columbia. This cheese starts out with a rich & complex smokey flavour, and then the warmth kicks in! This cheese is made with locally grown Paper Lantern Habanero peppers which are lightly scattered throughout the creamy cheese. The cheese itself is Natural Pastures own creation, with a texture and flavour somewhere in the middle of a cheddar and a gouda and a raclette. It melts like a dream, so is a fantastic choice for mac n' cheese, nachos or scrambled into some eggs for a little bit of a kick. Pacific Wildfire is vibrant and sassy and spicy and absolutely scrumptious.

Sold in 200g pieces, $16.99 each

Chateau de Bourgogne - France

Anyways.. this is CHATEAU DE BOURGOGNE. One of, if not THE BEST triple cream brie out there! This cheese is pure luxury. Unlike a double cream brie, this cheese CANNOT be cut into slices or bites.. it's just too creamy! I almost like to describe its texture as a savoury whipped cream - it's thick, spreadable, ooey and gooey and near impossible to stop eating!!! It's SO DELICIOUS I've actually had a couple of people tell me this cheese has been LIFE CHANGING, that's how good it is! 

Chateau de Bourgogne comes from the Burgundy region of France (or Bourgogne, in French!) and is the home of some of the best soft cheeses in the world. Cream forward, slightly sweet, slightly salty, and overwhelmingly delicious, you can't go wrong with a good Brie!

Sold in 200g wheels, $19.99 each

Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar - PEI

The recipe for this cheese comes from the Orkney Islands, north of mainland Scotland and is handmade in the style of the great traditional English cheddars. Made from milk from Holstein cows on small local farms in PEI, and is gently heated (but not pasteurized) to allow beneficial microbes to thrive and give the cheese depth and flavour. This cheddar has won countless awards at competitions such as The American Cheese Society Competition, SIAL International Cheese Competition, World Cheese Awards, the Canadian Cheese Awards and more! The cheese itself is fruity, mushroomy, savoury with both creamy and crumbly texture profiles. It's rich and hearty, and is undoubtably an impressive cheddar.

Sold in 180g pieces, $14.99 each

Camembert Marie Harel - France

Made by Fromagerie Gillot in Orne, Normandy, this Camembert is made using traditional methods, including processing by hand, to make this lovely, delicious bloomy rind cheese! It's named after Marie Harel, the original creator of Camembert during the French Revolution when a cheesemaker fleeing from Brie was seeking refuge at the Harel family farm. He taught Marie how they make Brie in Eastern France, and she modified the recipe to suit the Normande culture, and Camembert was born! After one of the Harel family members offered some to Napoleon and he LOVED it and continued to promote the cheese around the country. This particular cheese is delicious - light, buttery, slightly sweet and salty, and has a delicious creamy texture when left out for about 30 minutes before eating. Pair it with something sweet for a treat to die for! This cheese is a pasteurized version of Camembert de Normandie (AOP).

Sold in 250g wheels, $16.49 each

Epoisses - France

Coming from the renowned Burgundy region of France, Epoisses can be dated back to around the 16th century where it was made by monks in the monestary of the village of Epoisses, hence the name! Epoisses is known as one of the funkiest cheeses, well, ever.. and has an incredibly pungent smell. BUT its flavour is actually quite subtle and sweet. It's so soft and gooey, it's best when dipped into with a slice of crostini or fresh bread. I've seen it described as "a bacon-custard bomb", and is the more-intense cousin to Fromagerie Montebello's Adoray!

These 250g wheels are unctuously creamy, with an exciting, bold, funky flavour. Epoisses is a washed rind cheese, which you can tell by the bright, orange rind. The cheese is washed with a mixture of water and marc de Bourgogne, a special type of brandy from the region, which promotes the orange bacterial growth washed-rind cheese lovers ADORE! She's quite funky, but in the most delicious way. 

FUN FACT: Epoisses nearly went extinct during World War II where production ceased entirely due to the war efforts. M. Berthaut of the village of Epoisses was not about to let that happen, so he revived the production in the 1950s!

Sold in 250g wheels, $39 each

Brebirousse - France

This ultra-gooey cheese is sure to impress! Made exclusively from sheeps milk in Lyon, France, Brebirousse is a fantastic savoury cheese that has earned its spot on your board. Its name literally means “red sheep” in igFrench, and is distinct in appearance with its rusty red-ish rind. Not to be confused with washed rind cheeses, the red on the rind of this cheese comes from annatto, the seed of the achite tree, which is a natural food colouring used for cheesemaking. The cheese is delicately sweet, buttery and sheep-y, with interesting earthy notes.

Sold by weight, $10.29/100g

Brie a la Truffe - France

This is BRIE AUX TRUFFES - a super truffley double cream Brie from France.

Made by Fromagerie Renard Gillard, this is showstopper cheese is made by taking a wheel of Brie made in the same method as Brie de Meaux, slicing it in half horizontally and filling the center with a creamy double cream paste mixed with Saint-Jean Black Summer Truffles. The exterior Brie is nothing mild or boring - it's full flavoured, earthy, mushroomy, and slightly bitter as the good Bries are, and the flavour can stand up to the bold, black truffles of the inner paste! 

Sold by weight, $13.00/100g

Pecorino Canestrato Stagionato - Italy

The name of this cheese itself can be broken down into its 3 parts: Pecorino, we know means sheeps milk cheese. Canestrato, indicates the type, specifically referring to the “canestrati”, Italian for basket, that the cheese is made in. And finally Stagionato, which means aged. Any cheese that has Stagionato at the end has been aged for a minimum of 6 months, but likely around a year. This exact cheese has been aged for about 8 months, and is made exclusively with Sicilian sheeps milk from the Trapani hinterland (inland areas in the West of the Island). This exact wheel that you have in your box comes from a dairy managed by brothers Pietro and Andrea Messina who have been making Pecorino daily in Sicily since 2000. 

The flavour of this particular cheese is described as “Sicilian by nature”, and even by your first sniff you should be able to pick up the subtle aromas of oregano, tomato, and the Mediterranean in general. It has a really interesting, complex flavour that evolves as you eat it. Salty, sweet, tart, tingly, nutty, fruity – all of the good things! 

Sold by weight, $11.15/100g

Creel & Gambrel 5 Year Cheddar - Ontario

Another local favourite! Creel & Gambrel’s 5 Year Aged Cheddar is not your average cheddar. Beautifully aged, this cheese is tangy with crystals, crumbles (but not too much!) and will accentuate any typical cheese pairing you can think of. Very typical of an Ontario cheddar, this cheese is exactly what most people would expect out of an “aged cheddar”, but definitely an exceptional option. At 5 Years Old, this cheese still maintains some creaminess, while giving us the bite and acidity of a well matured cheese. Perfectly balanced, when paired with your favourite wine - red or white - and some fruit or jellies, you have a delicious, people-friendly treat! 

Sold by weight, $6.80/100g 

Fleurmier de Charlevoix - Quebec

Fleurmier is a typical soft cheese with a bloomy rind of the Camembert type. The milk comes from the Gouffre valley in Baie-Saint-Paul. It’s rich and velvety paste has a fruity and nutty flavor without any aftertaste. Its texture improves with age and its taste develops without bitterness. Its name comes from the words fleur meaning bloom and fermier – meaning farmer!

Sold in 250g wheels, $18.99 each

Almnas Tegel - Sweden

Almnas Tegel is a cheese with a really interesting story! This cheese is made at Almnas Bruck, an estate that once was a brick-making factory but has now been transformed into a cheesemaking farm! This cheese pays homage to that history - every wheel of cheese is copper coloured and imprinted with small footprints as an homage to the days when children playing would run over wet bricks left out to dry. 

To make the cheese, the milk is put into a copper vat and warmed while the cultures are added. What makes this cheese different is that the milk is warmed slightly hotter than normal, slightly scalding it, which imparts a caramelized flavour to the cheese. It's then aged for two years before being sent out to cheese shops like me! 

It has a super unique flavour - sweet, rich, caramelized, but with a grassy freshness to it as well! 

Sold by weight, $13.50/100g

Tete de Moine - Switzerland

Tete de Moine, also sometimes known by its English Translation "Monks Head",  is made in the mountains in Switzerland and definitely has a "typical" Alpine style cheese flavour profile; nutty, slightly fruity, pleasantly sharp and balanced. It's a washed rind cheese, so it's closer to an Appenzeller in flavour than Comté or Gruyere, but still quite close in its flavour profile. 

What makes this cheese super exciting is how it’s traditionally served - “rolled” into florets using a device called a GIROLLE. Typically, when you see Alpine style cheeses, they’re either melted or cut into bite sized chunks. Delicious, yes, but when this perfectly shaped cheese is turned into florets, the texture changes into a silky smooth paste that absolutely MELTS in your mouth. To get technical, this happens because florets have much more surface area which alters the structure of its body and allows the full flavour of Tete de Moine to shine! 

Pair this cheese with some stunning prosciutto and a big red wine, you’ll have a combo to DIE FOR. 

Don't have a Girolle of your own? No problem! This holiday season I'll be selling Tete de Moine as (full wheels - not available yet), half wheels as well as the rosettes by weight, so you get to take part in the fun of this delicious Swiss cheese!

*Currently* Sold in 2 ways: Half wheels, $50 or Rosettes, $13.50/100g 

Stilton Jars - UK

Coming in this beautiful ceramic jar, you can enjoy England's most celebrated blue cheese in the cutest way! Made with Clawson Farms' traditional Blue Stilton, this jar is the perfect gift for a traditional blue cheese lover. This cheese is full-bodied and complex, beautifully marbled with spicy blue vening, and has a decadent creamy, yet crumbly texture with tangy and earthy undertones. Plus, when all the cheese is gone, you have an adorable collectible jar!

Sold in 100g jars, $22.99

Jura Savoie - France

Through generations, the Chabert family has built a strong reputation for their authenticity and quality of this classic cheese. Made in Savoie, France, this cheese is wrapped in spruce bark, which gives it a super unique woody flavour. The inner paste is suuuuuper smooth and creamy, and is best when dipped into as if the cheese itself was a fondue. 

The flavour isn't easily comparable to much - the spruce bark gives it an earthy, vegetal flavour similar to that of Camembert or Brie de Meaux, but it also has a really pleasant funkiness similar to that of a washed rind cheese. There's also a degree of frutiness that is sometimes common in washed rind Alpine cheeses, but Vacherin Savoie really encompasses it all! 

This cheese should be prepared the way that Vacherin Mont d'Or is - scored, garlic added, spashed with white wine, baked in the oven until ultra gooey, and served with potatoes, veggies, and crusty bread. 

Sold in 300g wheels, $34.99

Le Nuiton - France

Fromagerie Delin's Le Nuiton is a decadent, Burgundian soft cheese celebrated for it's insanely velvety texture and refined richness. Crafted by the family-run creamery known for traditional French techniques, Le Nuiton is a great example of the region's affinity for soft cheeses! 

Le Nuiton comes in two versions - Original and Truffle - but both begin with an incredibly creamy, mild, buttery flavour that blooms into a subtle mushroomy finish. The Truffle version elevates the experience even further with the addition of fresh summer truffles throughout the paste, adding even more umami and intensity to the cheese without being overwhelming.

Enjoy on a cheese board, melted into a dish, or baked in the oven (as per the package instructions!) at 300°F for 20-30 minutes. 

Sold in 200g wheels:

• $22.99 for the Original flavour

• $26.99 for the Truffle flavour

Scamorza Affumicata - Italy

This adorable little guy is Scamorza Affumicata - technically translated to “smoked cheese”, this one definitely packs more of a punch than its name suggests!

Scamorza is a stretched curd cheese, not unlike mozzarella, but with a little bit of a different production process. The curds of scamorza are cut much smaller than those for mozzarella, which doesn’t let it hold on to as much moisture. This cheese is on the firmer side, and smoked over certified wood chips, giving it its strong & smokey flavour.

When you use this cheese in a recipe, it almost lends a bacon-like flavour to your dish — salty, smokey, meaty, but with the texture of mozzarella. AMAZING on pizza or in an omelette, this is a fantastic cheese to keep in your fridge for cooking!

Sold in 250g wheels, $18.99 each

Tomasoni Spreadable Truffle Cheese - Italy

Made just North of Venice, Caseifico Tomasoni is making these incredible soft cheeses that are super versatile in how to eat them! Ultra creamy, this cheese could be served as is as a dip, or used as a sauce on burgers or sandwiches, or enjoyed with a spoon at midnight right out of the fridge! Flavoured with bold black truffles, this cheese is a real treat for truffle lovers, as the truffle flavour is SO INTENSE you can’t help but love it. Truffle. Truffle. Truffle. Mmmmmm. 

Sold in 100g containers, $8.99 each

Mountain Oak Smoked Gouda - Ontario

This is a young Gouda from Mountain Oak Gouda in New Hamburg, Ontario flavoured with a light smokey flavour. This cheese is quite young, close in texture to a pizza mozzarella, with a very pleasant, light flavour. This cheese is produced by the Van Bergeijks family who emigrated to Canada in 1996. They were cheesemakers in Holland, but found that there was little opportunity to grow as dairy farmers, despite their cheese’s local popularity. The cheesemaking equipment made its way with them to Canada, and Mountain Oak Cheese was born!

Sold in 225g pieces, $15.99 each

Green Goddess VEGAN Cheeseball "Thyme for Wine" - Ontario

Are you hosting something over the holidays and have someone who is plant based/vegan attending? I brought in some Vegan options just for you!

These cheeses are from Green Goddess Fromagerie in Guelph. Green Goddess' mission is to make the highest quality artisan vegan cheese that is creative, delicious and versatile. Just because you may be dairy-free, doesn't mean that cheese needs to be a compromise. All Green Goddess products are made using traditional cheese-making techniques, but non-traditional ingredients. Everything is cultured and aged in-house, and hand-formed, hand-cut, and hand-packaged. 

The Thyme for Wine Cheeseball is a wine-infused, chevre style cheese ball that's coated with thyme and herbs. Get some crunchy crackers and a crisp, dry rose for a delicious appetizer that will work for EVERYONE (unless you're allergic to cashews, in which case please do not eat these). 

Sold in 150g balls, $16.49

Note: I have personally tasted these, and it is really delicious even if you're not vegan!

Red Chesterfield - Ontario

Made by Golspie Dairy in Woodstock, ON, Red Chesterfield is inspired by Red Leicester, one of the more popular English cheeses! Putting a Canadian twist on this British classic, Red Chesterfield has been aged for a minimum of 4 months. It has a beautiful, mottled natural rind and the paste is bright orange. This cheese is dense and crumbly, but still maintains some creaminess that melts in your mouth to show off its notes of roasted nuts, sweet caramel, cooked cream, and earthy must. Perfectly balanced between salty, savoury, and sweet, this is a delicious cheese for those who love the classic flavours of Red Leicester. 

Sold by weight, $8.90/100g

Chic! Fondue - Wine - Quebec

CHIC! FONDUE is made by 1001 Fondues in Quebec. This particular flavour is their Wine flavour, a classic fondue, made with 100% local Quebec cheeses! Chic! au vin (wine) is lactose-free, gluten-free and ready to cook, making it easier than ever to delight everyone around the dinner table.

Chic! au vin (wine) has delicately fruity notes and fragrant cheesiness with no aftertaste of alcohol, so it’s sure to delight young and old alike, not to mention giving a delicious boost to all your favourite dippers and sides.

This is the smaller size, 125g microwaveable containers that serve 1 person for a complete meal or 2 people as an appetizer. 

Sold individually, $12.99 each

Blue Moo - PEI

Blue Moo is a cream-forward, perfectly balanced blue sure to impress. It's rich and buttery, yet light and flavourful - a great choice for serving to a group of people. Blue Moo is a triple cream blue cheese made with 100% PEI dairy that is thermalized (warmed, but not pasteurized - leaving many of the great microbes and flavour compounds that give PEI cheeses their unique flavour) inspired by recipes from the Orkney Islands in Scotland. Cow's Creamery only started making this cheese at the beginning of 2022 but has already garnered some well-deserved attention around the country!

Sold by weight, $7.50/100g

Chabichou d'Antan - France

This is Chabichou de Poitou, a French Chevre from the Loire Valley. In the Loire Valley of France, goat herding has been around for centuries, dating back as early as the 8th century. The region has very fertile land which makes these goats very, very happy, and the French know how to make some darn good cheese! 70-80% of France's goat cheeses come from this region, and once you taste 'em, you'll understand why! 

Chabichou (pronounced shabby-shoe) lands at around a 5/10 on the funky scale for me - definitely pungent, certainly has a distinct scent.. but not so much that it really knocks your socks off. The funkiness here adds depth and intensity, a level of flavour that just simply does not exist in mild cheeses. Chabichou is a cheese to savour and enjoy - it captures your attention and really makes you TASTE it, not just eat it.

Sold in 150g wheels, $19.99 each

Crottin Germain - France

Crottin de Chevre Germain is a moulded goat cheese made from pasteurized milk and matured in the Berry region of France. Under its fine, white rind hides a firm and slightly crumbly texture with a moderately funky yet delicate flavour. This cheese is a Loire Valley Chevre – meaning that it follows a very similar flavour profile to other cheese from the same region. Chabichou de Poitou, Valencay, Selles-sur-Cher are some examples. This cheese is on the milder side of the Loire funk spectrum, but it’ll give you a great idea of what to expect from this type of cheese.

Sold in 60g wheels, $6.99 each

Roquefort Vernieres - France

Roquefort, the “King of Cheeses and Cheese of Kings” was born in the heart of the magnificent landscapes of the Aveyron region in the south of France. The Vernières family, owners of cellars since the 15th century in Roquefort, are still one of the great ambassadors of this country & of this terroir. Roquefort is known for its intense flavor, making it a favorite among cheese connoisseurs worldwide. Roquefort is a big, bold, beautiful and creamy cheese with an addicting intensity and saltiness.

Roquefort is made exclusively with milk from Lacaune sheep specially chosen for its milking ability combined with a hardiness adapted to the harsh Caussenard and Levezou plateaus. Roquefort is an AOP/PDO designated cheese that must follow many rules to be able to be named Roquefort, and there are only SEVEN producers in the world that qualify, so it is really special to be able to have this available in Canada. 

Sold in 100g packages, $12.99 each

St. Angel - France

This is SAINT ANGEL, a luxurious triple cream cheese from France. She comes from the Rhone-Alps region of France, and is a bloomy rind triple cream cheese. What sets this cheese apart from other triple cream French cheeses is that its made with an ultrafiltration technique, which creates a silky texture unparalleled by other production methods. It's creamy and sweet, thanks to the extra cream used to boost its fat content to the high standards in the French Triple Cream world. Best served with a glass of Champagne.

Sold two ways: By weight, $11.00/100g or full wheel (~750g) for $75

Capra Tonka & Vermouth - Italy

This is CAPRA TONKA & VERMOUTH, an Italian goat cheese that's flavoured with (shocker) Tonka & Vermouth for a super unique flavour profile. 

In case you've never heard of it, Tonka beans are dried seeds from South America and have a rich, complex flavor similar to that of vanilla, almond, cinnamon, caramel, and clove. The flavor is due to its high coumarin content, which gives it that signature warm, sweet, and slightly bitter taste, and is actually most commonly used in making perfumes because of its unique scent/flavour!

It's also soaked in Vermouth, which is commonly used in martinis and Manhattan cocktails, and adds even more complexity to this interesting cheese!

Its flavour definitely starts out goaty - not OBNOXIOUSLY goaty, but it's definitely there. And between the Tonka & Vermouth, this cheese feels like it should be sweet but it's not! Not that it feels like it's missing sweetness, its just that the flavours of the cheese are typically found alongside something sweet, so it's a really unique flavour! This cheese feels like one I'd want to have with coffee - it tastes almost like vanilla or caramel, but it's so unique and awesome and definitely something different!

Sold by weight, $15.00/100g 

Gigha Cheddar with Highland Liqueur - UK

These adorable little truckles come from the Isle of Kintyre in Scotland. They're made with prime quality mature Scottish cheddar, and blended with various flavourings before being hand dipped in wax and shipped out to me!

The Apple is flavoured with Highland Liqueur - a special blend of Islay malt whiskey and brandy, specifically designed to complement the high quality & delicious cheese! It’s fruity with a bit of a bite from the whiskey, and is definitely an adorable treat. 

Pairs well (obviously) with a nice Scotch! Perfect as a cheesy stocking stuffer, these are just too cute to ignore 😍 I'll be getting these every week for the next couple weeks, but only in limited quantities!

Sold in 200g pieces, $19.99 each

Godminster Heart Shaped Cheddar - UK

This deliciously melt-in-the-mouth cheddar cheese is from GODMINSTER, and is made to a traditional 90-year-old recipe with organic milk and matured for up to 12 months. Their master affineur then selects the very best cheese to be made into one of their award-winning truckles, which is what we call a small piece of cheese coated in wax. This heart-shaped Vintage Bruton Beauty cheese has a rich depth of flavour with a smooth texture that’s irresistibly delicious and will make you come back for more! This cheese has the creaminess of a young cheddar, but with the sharpness of an aged cheddar - so much so that you may think it's actually much older than it is! Perfect for a cheese board or as a last minute stocking-stuffer for your lover!

Sold in 200g truckles, $21.99 each

Townsley 8-Year Cheddar - Quebec

Coming from Quebec,  Townsley Cheddar has been aged for 8 years, and has a stunning complex flavour. It's very firm and crumbly, and is studded with tyrosine crystals (aka cheese diamonds!) to give it an additional crunchy texture to its profile. It has deep flavours, almost reminiscent of caramel or nuts, and evolves as you chew on it. This is a stunning cheddar that is meant to be savoured, and can stand alone and impress without any other accompaniments, but would also be enjoyable on a salad, sandwich or with spreads. 

Sold by weight, $8.50/100g 

Picobello - Netherlands

You may recognize this cheese as PICOBELLO from the Netherlands! It's an aged Gouda that's inspired by Parmigiano Reggiano, and is super rich and crunchy!

When I say this cheese is crunchy.. I mean this cheese is CRONCHY. Dare I say I haven't met a crunchier cheese? Picobello has so many crystals within, it's absolutely decadent. It's flavour profile is much like an aged Gouda - sweet, caramel and butterscotch - with the nutty saltiness of an aged Italian cheese. 

Picobello is made from pasteurized cow's milk and is fantastic with a Belgian brown beer or a robust Chardonnay. 

FUN FACT: Cheeses like this one are best when they're thoroughly chewed. Now that may sound super weird, but it's very easy to sufficiently chew your food to swallow it, but we very rarely chew our food enough to SAVOUR it. With the amount of umami flavours hidden within the paste of this cheese, it's truly best to let it sit in your mouth for an extra few moments to truly appreciate the flavour of this cheese to the maximum potential. Next time you're eating something rich, try chewing it a few extra times and see what happens!

Sold by weight, $9.50/100g

Bleu d'Affinois - France

Bleu d’Affinois comes from France, and is a blue cheese made from pasteurized cows milk. Bleu d'Affinois is a stunning triple cream blue with an absolutely to-die-for creamy texture. Its rind is bloomy, so similar to that of a Brie, with a moderately intense blue paste. It's so flavourful, yet not aggressive, and is PERFECT for your favourite crackers or fresh bread. Very similar in style to Cambozola, but with the beautiful boldness of French blues! I would advise against cooking with this blue as it's so delicate and creamy, but would be an absolute star on a salad with greens, candied pecans or walnuts.

Sold by weight, $11.00/100g

Beurre d'Isigny - France

This BUTTER (not cheese, but butter!!!) is a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) butter from Isigny-sur-Mer in the North West of France, and is unlike any other butter you likely would have had before. It has a buttercup yellow colour and slightly hazelnutty flavour profile, and has followed a slow, traditional fermentation process that helps it develop its distinctive aromas and flavours. 

What makes this butter different than the butter you're used to? A few things -- the Isigny region has a warm and humid climate, and is close in proximity to the ocean and marshes. The cows, therefore, feed on grass that is rich in iodine, beta-carotene and micronutrients, giving the butter its own unique flavour! This butter is 100% natural, and has a fat content of at least 82% (for reference, Canadian butter is only 80%) with tons of Vitamin A and E. This butter contains no artificial flavours, preservatives or colouring. This butter also goes through a special production process called tourage that gives it a malleable yet firm texture, and is favoured by French pastry chefs when making light & airy puff pastries and crispy baked goods with buttery flavour! 

These bricks also have the addition of flaky sea salt, which gives the butter a salty crunch! 

For more information on this particular butter, visit the Isigny website here.

Sold in 250g bricks, $27.99 each

NOTE: The baskets pictured are out of stock until the new year, but we have plenty of the flaky salt bricks!

Ciambella Trifulo - Italy

Truffle lovers, this one's for you! Made with raw cow's milk, this cheese is speckled with summer truffles from the region. The cheese is made with the Kinara Method, meaning that instead of using animal or synthetic rennet, wLa Fattorie Fiandino (the producer) uses a special flower from a wild thistle to make the cheese - meaning this one is 100% vegetarian! The cheese is semi-firm, with a melt-in-your-mouth, smooth and luxurious texture. The flavour of the truffles is prominent, but complimented by the subtle earthiness of the cheese. Ciambella is a traditional Piedmontese breakfast cake that's shaped like a Bundt cake, and the name of this cheese is inspired by the cake!

Sold by weight, $14.90/100g

Raclette Kaiser - Quebec

In keeping with his Swiss heritage, Mr. Fritz Kaiser is a master of Raclette cheese-making. This beautiful cheese is a semi-soft, surface-ripened cheese that is aged for approximately 8 weeks. It has a subtle flavour of hazelnut, with notes of milk and butter. It's name originates from the French word 'racler', meaning 'to scrape', which is a reference to scraping the melted cheese from the wheel, onto potatoes. Not necessarily always meant for a cheese board, this cheese is best melted with some fruit or potatoes, but delicious on it’s own as well!

Want to learn more about Raclette? We rent raclette machines and have a thorough guide on what it is!  

Sold by weight, $6.20/100g

Smoked Cheddar - PEI

Made by Cow's Creamery in Prince Edward Island, this 2-Year cheddar is slowly smoked over appletree wood for an 8 hour period which gives it a mouth-wateringly full, smokey flavour that is a perfect compliment to the cheddar cheese! PEI soil is very iron rich, so when the cow's eat the grass grown in this soil, the mineral content of the milk is different which also changes the flavour! This cheese is also made with thermalized milk which is gently heated, but not enough to be pasteurized, which preserves the microorganisms and enzymes of the raw milk that give this cheese its characteristic flavour. 

Sold in 180g packages, $14.99 each

Oxford Harvest Ghost Pepper - Ontario

If you attended Cheese Fest back in the spring, you may have tried this spicy guy! This is the Ghost Pepper flavour of the Oxford Harvest cheese from Gunn's Hill cheeses in Woodstock, ON. Oxford Harvest is a mild cheese based off of a Swiss cheese called "Mutchli" - semi-hard, full-fat, Alpine style cheese that's usually sold locally and has an awesome nutty flavour. This particular one has a GENEROUS addition of hot, hot, hot Ghost Peppers and has a looooong, lingering heat that is not for the weak. 

Sold by weight, $8.50/100g

Provolone del Monaco - Italy

Provolone del Monaco is a specific type of Provolone cheese coming from Campania in Italy. It's made with cows milk, and is a firmer pasta filata cheese, not unlike caciocavallo! It's super nutty, piquant, sweet & salty, and is fantastic on a sandwich or in the traditional recipe called Spaghetti alla Nerano, which is also rumoured to be a favourite of Stanley Tucci! 

Provolone del Monaco comes from Northern Italy, around Monaco, whereas Caciocavallo comes from the South, around Calabria. 

Sold by weight, $13.00/100g