Everything that's happening for Big Cheese Days 2023

Big Cheese Days are back (as we're sure you've heard)!  We are CRAZY excited for this event which will take place every Saturday in May.

In addition to their regular Cheese Trail offers, our Cheese Trail partners are stepping things up a notch with exclusive tastes, tours, experiences, deals and more so read on for what you can expect and be sure to check out our Cheese Trail trip ideas at the bottom of the page as well. 

The 411 on Big Cheese Days

Read on for what you need to know about Big Cheese Days as well as what each partner's offer is. We'll sort by cheesemakers and by hub to make it super easy for you. You can even skip ahead based on what you want to read about: 

• What You Need to Know
  • What is the Cheese Trail
  • Where is Oxford County
  • Downloading The Great Taste of Ontario Passport
• What the Cheese & Dairy makers are Up to
• What's happening in Blandford-Blenheim
• What's happening in Woodstock
• What's happening in Tillsonburg
• What's happening in Ingersoll
• What's happening in Gunn's Hill

What You Need to Know

Here's the inside scoop of everything you should know before heading out on your Big Cheese Days adventure.

What is the Cheese Trail

The Oxford County Cheese Trail is a curated list of 30+ stops that all have special cheese and dairy-related offers year-round that celebrate Oxford County’s rich heritage. You choose the stops you would like to visit based on location and activities. 

Where is Oxford County

Oxford County is conveniently located in Southwestern Ontario where two major highways (401 and 403) meet.

It’s just a 90-minute drive from downtown Toronto and two hours from border crossings at Bu­ffalo, Detroit and Sarnia. Our largest communities include the City of Woodstock and the towns of Tillsonburg, Ingersoll, Norwich and Tavistock.  

Downloading your Great Taste of Ontario Passport

This year, you can download the Oxford County Cheese Trail Passport at ontarioculinary.com/BCD (no app download necessary) or right on this page.

1. Receive a text and save it to your home screen.

2. On Saturdays in May check-in at, at least THREE Cheese Trail stops to receive a $25 gift voucher for a participating FeastON restaurant.

3. Consider finishing off Big Cheese Days by redeeming it at SixThirtyNine or Udderly Ridiculous Farm Life.

For full voucher program details: ontarioculinary.com/feast-on/vouchers/

What the Cheese & Dairy makers are up to

 

Mountainoak Cheese

Where: Mountainoak Cheese, 3165 Huron Rd. New Hamburg, ON. (View Map)
Hours: Open 9 am - 5 pm, tours from 10 am - 4 pm

• Tours with tasting all day between 10 am and 4 pm ($15 per person or $45 family rate), no pre-booking required.

Bright Cheese and Butter

Where: Bright Cheese and Butter, 816503 Oxford Rd. 22 Bright, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 9 am - 4 pm

• Sample their well-known, naturally-aged cheese amde with 100% local milk.

Udderly Ridiculous Farm Life

Where: Udderly Ridiculous Farm Life, 906200 Township Rd 12, Bright, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 9 am - 7 pm

• Goat Milk Ice Cream Samples
  • Experiences: Book online for goat recess, alpaca walks and more! Book an Udderly Ridiculous Experience.

Golspie Dairy

Where: Golspie Dairy, 455259 45th Line RR#3, Woodstock, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 9 am - 4 pm

• 'Milk & Cookies' ($2 for a glass of milk [whole or chocolate] and a Chocolate Chip Cookie.)

Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese

Where: Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese, 445172 Gunn’s Hill Rd. Woodstock, ON. (View Map)
Hours: Open 9 am - 5 pm, tours at 10 am and 1:30 pm

• Tours at 10 am and 1 pm ($10 per person) Book in advance at gunnshillcheese.ca
• Squeeky Fresh Curd Poutine - Available from 11 am- 1 pm

Red Dragon Dairy

Where: Red Dragon Dairy, 383723 Salford Rd. RR#1 Salford, ON. (View Map)
Hours: Open 10 am - 5:30 pm

• Serving up fresh, grilled cheese sandwiches using their sheep cheese.

Dad's Ice Cream

Where: Dad's Ice Cream, 2 Vance Dr. Tillsonburg ON. (View Map)
Hours: 12 pm - 10pm (Last two Saturdays in May)

• Butter Tart Sundae featuring butter tarts from The Country Table in Tillsonburg. This sundae is layered with Shaw's signature vanilla ice cream, decadent butterscotch topping, and finished with peanuts, whipped cream and a cherry.

What's happening in Blandford-Blenheim

Thames River Melons Farm Market & Pick-Your-Own Patch

Where: Thames River Melons, 775530 Blandford Rd. Innerkip, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 9 am - 5 pm

• Spring Picnic Packs ($25/ Serves 2) A mix of farm fresh pickles, cheese, charcuterie meats, farm kitchen baked goods, and other farm preserves + a mason jar of homemade berry sweet tea. Order in advance for a quick pick-up, or snag one on-site.

What's happening in Woodstock

Brickhouse Brewpub

Where: Brickhouse Brewpub, 190 Fairway Rd. Woodstock, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 11am-11pm

• Braised Beef Poutine & 20oz Pint ($19). Choose from 24 beers on tap.

Upper Thames Brewing Company

Where: Upper Thames Brewing Co. 225 Bysham Park Dr. #9, Woodstock, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 11am-7pm

• Proscuitto & Brigid's Brie Pizza & 20oz Pint ($20).

Charles Dickens Pub

Where: Charles Dickens Pub, 505 Dundas St. Woodstock, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 11:30 am - 1 am

• 100 Mile Wine and Cheese Board: a showcase of Oxford's delightful cheesemakers as well as a bottle of red or white Ontario wine

Habitual Chocolate

Where:  Habitual Chocolate, 389 Dundas St. Woodstock, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm

• Brie Ice Cream ($2.50) Option to add on local berry compote topping for small fee. Selection of flavours available.

Whisk and Roll Bakery

Where: Whisk and Roll Bakery, 600 Dundas St. Woodstock ON. (View Map)
Hours: 8am-2pm

• Trio of Sweets, made from scratch with local ingredients. Try the Old Fashion Glazed Mini Donuts, Crowdie Parfait, Rhubarb Sour Cream Scone, or all three on Saturdays in May.

SixThirtyNine

Where: SixThirtyNine, 639 Peel St. Woodstock, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 5-10pm
To Note: Book a reservation in advance online.

• Vodkow Sour Cocktail (a cocktail made with cheese whey from a local cheesemaker and Vodkow, an Ontario-based spirit that makes vodka by fermenting lactose from milk)
• The Award-Winning Cheese Board: a cheese board featuring a variety of local cheeses, in particular, the big award-winner
• Experience: Reserve a spot at the Chef's Table for dinner. Book the Chef's Table Experience here.

Your Farm Market

Where: Your Farm Market, 39 Young St. Woodstock, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 8am-6pm

• Pop-Up Vendors every Saturday in May from 8 am - 12 pm
  • May 6 - Raw Carrot
  • May 13 - Lidz Cinnamon Buns
  • May 20 - Great Canadian Honey
  • May 27 - Kintore Coffee
• H3 sandwich for $5 to anyone who shows staff their Great Taste of Ontario Passport, on Saturdays in May.

What's happening in Tillsonburg

Coyle's Country Store

Where: Coyle's Country Store, 244282 Airport Rd. Tillsonburg ON. (View Map)
Hours: 9 am - 5 pm

• Buy 2 squares of cheesecake fudge, get one free. This delicious homemade fudge is made on-site at Coyles Country Store.

Tillsonburg Station Arts Centre

Where: Tillsonburg Station Arts Centre, 41 Bridge St. W. Tillsonburg ON. (View Map)
Hours: 10 am - 1 pm

• Community Mural Project. Come out to the Tillsonburg Station Arts Centre and help revitalize their basement space by helping them paint a section of their wall designed to be a colouring page. All ages welcome. Donations to the Centre are always welcomed!

Two Girls and a Cheese Shop

Where: Two Girls and a Cheese Shop, 20 Brock St. Tillsonburg ON. (View Map)
Hours: 10 am - 3 pm

• Stop by this adorable cheese shop and try their rotating surprise Ontario cheese samples each Saturday of May.

Betty's Marketplace

Where: Betty's Marketplace, 87 Broadway St., Tillsonburg, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 10 am - 3 pm

• Shop Betty’s exclusive cheesy display of artisan products and receive a ballot entry to win a curated local cheesy, punny gift basket when you show the GTOO Passport (draw will be made Sat. June 3^rd).

• Purchases made Saturday in May with proof of passport will receive a $5 gift voucher to be used for future purchases online and/or in-store.

The Mill Eatery

Where: The Mill Eatery, 20 John Pound Rd. Tillsonburg ON. (View Map)
Hours: 11 am - 11 pm

• The Mill is kickin’ up a favourite and calling it the Red Dragon Spinach Dip. Their classic spinach dip, but made with Red Dragon cream cheese, and a hint of fire. ($15.99)
• Pair the Red Dragon Spinach Dip with a pint of Upper Thames Lazy Fox Amber Ale ($19.99)

What's happening in Ingersoll

The Elm Hurst Inn

Hours: The Elm Hurst Inn, 415 Harris St. Ingersoll, ON. (View Map)

• The Oxford County Cheese Trail Package: One-night accommodation in a Deluxe Inn Room, complimentary breakfast in the Mansion Restaurant, a chilled bottle of sparkling wine, tasting of chocolates and an Oxford County cheeseboard brought to your room. (Friday Nights)

The Ingersoll Cheese Museum

Where: The Ingersoll Cheese Museum, 290 Harris St. Ingersoll, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 9 am - 5 pm

• Get a taste of Ingersoll's cheesy history at the museum
• Run and play at the Cheese-themed playground

The Wine Cellar and Cheese Shop

Where:  The Wine Cellar and Cheese Shop, 188 Thames St. S. Ingersoll, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 9 am - 5 pm

• Each Saturday try a different lunch item made by Chef Sean between 12pm-3pm using Stonetown Cheese.
  • Week 1: Panini
  • Week 2: Taco Birria
  • Week 3: Philly Steak
  • Week 4: Smash Burgers
    • Prices vary. Preorder is reccomended by calling the shop the day before: (519) 425-4999 (519) 425-4999 519-425-4999

The Olde Bakery Cafe

Where: The Olde Bakery Cafe, 120 Thames St. S. Ingersoll, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 8 am - 4 pm

• The trail comes together at this stop with Olde Bakery Café’s Crowdie Honey Danish which uses crowdie made from Golspie Dairy (one of our Cheese Makers)!

Patina's Gifts of Art & Craft

Where: Patina's Gifts of Art & Craft, 112 Thames St. S. Ingersoll, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 11 am - 4 pm

• Check out this small-town gift shop with big time selection including Canadian-made pottery. Buy a piece of pottery and receive a free cheese ball mix.

Louie's Pizza and Pasta

Where: Louie's Pizza & Pasta, 440 Bell St. Ingersoll, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 9am-9pm

• Gunn's Hill Poutine
• Cacio e Pepe; local pecorino (red dragon dairy), bucatini noodles, mushrooms, bacon, onion, and black pepper
• The Big Louie; crispy onions straws, smoked 5 brothers cheese, double smash burger, shredded lettuce, garlic aioli, signature bun
• Garlic Pizza; garlic spread, cooked bacon, onion, tomato, mushroom, parsley, local pecorino, and fresh garlic

• Complimentary Deep-Fried Cheese Curds when you purchase 2 entrees & check-in through the Great Taste of Ontario

 

What's happening in Gunn's Hill

 

Greener Pastures Eco Farm

Where: Greener Pastures Eco Farm, 774766 Oxford Rd. 14, Woodstock, ON. (View Map)
Hours: 12 - 4 pm

• 2:30 pm: Enjoy a farm tour hayride ($10 per person). Spots must be booked online in advance. 

See you soon!