Preamble, Interviews & Photos by Chris Tiessen (unless noted otherwise)
Ontario’s artisanal cheese scene is flourishing. From Oxford County to Prince Edward County, the cheesemakers of our province are transforming local milk into wheels, wedges, and logs that are as inventive as they are delicious. Nutty Goudas. Caramelly Leicesters. Creamy Bries. Squeaky curds. And oh, so many more.
This October 25th and 26th the Ontario Cheese Festival brings Ontario’s cheeses together at Grand River Raceway in the picturesque village of Elora. Over two days, more than one hundred vendors will showcase their cheeses – alongside chocolates, charcuterie, craft beers, local wines, and other treats that pair perfectly with cheese.
Regional foodies eager to explore exceptional flavours crafted close to home will be encouraged to sample, shop, and enjoy tutored tastings, while DIY cheesemakers will be invited to join hands-on workshops down the road at the University of Guelph.
In this photo essay we meet a select few of the makers whose cheeses will be featured at the Cheese Festival – passionate, inventive folks who are deeply immersed in their craft. These artisans’ personalities, techniques, and stories elevate Ontario cheese beyond mere food; they make it a celebration of creativity, place, and community.
Visit cheesefest.ca to learn more. And see you in Elora.
Kimmely Zeldenrijk, Cheesemaker
New Galma Dairy & Creamery, Mount Elgin
newgalmadairy.ca
Specialty: Dutch cheeses
Fun fact: the Dairy’s name is derived from two cows once owned by the Zeldenrijk family in the Netherlands: ‘Galis’ & ‘Marie’
Your signature cheese: Our Italian Spiced Gouda – it won second place at our very first competition at the Royal Winter Fair.
Perfect pairing: Go Dutch! Cheese slices on bread – you can add a little butter too.
Your most unusual creation: A Smoked Bacon Cheese, made with real bacon and cold-smoked with applewood.
Local influence: Oxford County itself – the dairy capital of Canada. Cheese is in the air here.
Crowd favourite: The Farmer’s Secret Gouda, which I created with my mom.
Favourite Ontario cheese (besides your own): Any aged cheese from one of our neighbouring creameries.
Marja DeBoer-Marshall, Cheesemaker
Golspie Dairy, Woodstock
golspiedairy.ca
Specialty: Small-batch artisanal cheeses
Fun fact: Golspie has a ‘vending machine’ that dispenses cheese & fresh milk
How you got into cheesemaking: Ten years ago, I picked up David Asher’s book and worked through recipes in our kitchen.
Your signature cheese: Crowdie, our fresh cow’s milk cheese.
Crowd favourite: St Oda. It doesn’t suit everyone, but lots of people love it and it’s been doing well at competitions.
Perfect pairing: A big scoop of Crowdie added to a prepared box of Kraft Dinner.
A dream collaboration: Crowdie with excellent bagels – any bakers out there?
Guilty pleasure: Shep’s [Gunn’s Hill] Handeck. And if I can snag a giant wedge of Family Cheese, it’s a great week.
Patricia McDermott, Proprietor
Agrarian Market, Picton
agrarianmarket.com
This October’s Ontario Cheese Festival won’t be celebrating only dairies and cheesemakers. It will also feature cheesemongers and market proprietors who offer up cheeses (of course) along with local produce, preserves, baked goods, and more. Proprietors like Patricia McDermott of Picton’s family-owned Agrarian Market. Boutique in spirit, the Market proudly stocks more than fifty Prince Edward County-made brands – including cheeses and preserves, fresh produce, honey, and chocolate. Its café provides prepared meals and picnic-ready fare as well as charcuterie platters, gift baskets, and more.
Patricia is also the Executive Director of PEC Markets, which encompasses and sponsors several major events that she also leads: the weekly Wellington Farmers’ Market in PEC; the festive, holiday-themed Holly Jolly Markets in Belleville and Picton (held each December); The Great Canadian Cheese Festival which takes place in Kingston every summer; and the Ontario Cheese Festival.
Be sure to look out for Patricia & Agrarian Market at the Ontario Cheese Festival in Elora.
Shep Ysselstein, Cheesemaker
Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese, Woodstock
gunnshillcheese.ca
Specialty: Swiss-influenced artisan cheeses
Fun fact: Gunn’s Hill’s award-winning 5 Brothers is named after Shep and his four brothers
Your signature cheese: 5 Brothers – a recipe born from Swiss training and Dutch roots.
Most unusual creation: Oxford’s Harvest Ghost Pepper – it’s fiery and addictive.
Favourite part of the process: Slicing into a fresh wheel after months (or years) of waiting – the aroma, the flavour, the payoff.
Crowd favourite: Our 5 Brothers continues to please most palettes, but folks also love a warm, squeaky curd right out of the vat on a Friday morning.
Perfect pairing: Shep: A hazy IPA from Upper Thames Brewing Company. Colleen: A bottle of 13th Street Cuvée Brut Sparkling Rosé.
Guilty pleasure: Stonetown’s Grand Trunk – I can’t resist.
Ramon Eberle, Master Cheesemaker
Stonetown Artisan Cheese, St Marys
stonetowncheese.com
Specialty: Swiss-style cheeses
Fun fact: Stonetown’s cheese-making process echoes that used for centuries in the mountain dairies of the Swiss Alps
Your way into cheesemaking: Through my father – in Switzerland, my parents operated their own cheese plant.
Years in the business: I started my apprenticeship as a cheesemaker in Switzerland 25 years ago, working in different cheese plants along the way.
Your signature cheese: Our well-matured, washed-rind Gruyère-style cheeses Grand Trunk and Wildwood.
Your most unusual creation: A small-batch soft cheese we recently began making, available only through our farm store for now.
Local influence: Our recipes are rooted in the Swiss cheeses we grew up with, but we named them after familiar local landmarks.
Perfect pairing: Our cheeses go perfectly with wine or beer in any social setting.
Adam van Bergeijk, Cheesemaker / Farmer
Mountainoak Cheese, New Hamburg
mountainoakcheese.ca
Specialty: Gouda
Fun fact: Farmstead GOLD has won thirteen national and international awards
Years in the cheese business: I’ve been making cheese since 1981 in Gouda, Holland. We came to Canada in 1996, and I started making cheese here in 2012.
Your signature cheese: Our Farmstead GOLD (Good Old Local Dairy) – it’s aged 18 months and features butterscotch notes and naturally-formed salt crystals.
Crowd favourite: Our black truffle and wild nettle cheeses.
Your most unusual creation: A cheese that’s been a recent pleasant surprise is our smoked cheese with natural applewood smoke.
Perfect pairing: Our milder cheeses pair perfectly with white wine or light beer, while our older cheeses pair nicely with red wine or dark beer. Our gouda with toasted onion is lovely on a burger, while our curds are wonderful on pizza.
Favourite part of the process: Cutting the coagulated milk and putting the cheese in the forms, and opening the cheese and smelling the beautiful aroma.
