Calling all cheese lovers – Oxford County is the dairy capital of Ontario, Canada and there’s no better way to experience this than to explore the self-guided tour of the Oxford County Cheese Trail. At one point, they had about 100 cheese factories, and today there are only a few left. You can visit this cheese trail year-round, but great festivities surround it in May of each year. You can visit over 30 stops on the cheese trail and experience dairy by way of cheese (of course), chocolate, ice cream, poutine, and other foods so keep your stomachs ready for this trip! In addition to restaurants and local food producers, you can visit different museums, and boutiques, or even hike one of their 14 trails since there are over 160 kilometers of space to explore.
Their website has a lot of different information about the cheese trail and Oxford County and is solely dedicated to helping you find the perfect activities, itineraries, and things to do that can help you plan your trip. You can even email them to help plan your itinerary if you need.
You can visit the cheese trail as a day trip or you can even stay overnight if you so choose. Wednesdays to Saturdays are the best time to explore the cheese trail as most of the stops are open at the same time in the Woodstock, Ingersoll, Tillsonburg, and the Rural Oxford area. Don’t forget to pack a cooler to bring your cheese home. Otherwise, some stores will offer cooler bags for around $7 CAD.
In this blog post, you will find information on where to stay, the cheese makers, the best places to visit on the cheese trail, as well as other locations on the Oxford County Cheese Trail that you may want to add to your itinerary if you have time. When I visited, I made it a day trip from Toronto which was a 1.5-hour drive away. You can definitely do the Cheese Trail in one day or even make it a two-day trip if you’d like.
Where To Stay On The Oxford County Cheese Trail
If you’re planning to stay overnight or include a stop at the spa during your time on the Oxford County Cheese Trail, you will want to visit the luxurious, historic mansion: Elm Hurst Inn And Spa. There is actually an interesting history to this inn as it was originally the James Harris Cheese Factory in 1865. In 1866, James Harris created a 7,300-pound cheese wheel to put the city of Ingersoll on the map. This Mammoth Cheese has been displayed in New York, Paris, and even London.
Today, the Elm Hurst Inn and Spa has 46 rooms and 3 suites, in addition to a restaurant, and a luxurious spa. They also have the capacity to hold special events and weddings.
The Cheese Makers of Oxford County:
This was the first stop we visited when we first started our Oxford County Cheese Trail tour from Toronto. It’s a large farm with a small retail store and you can choose from many different types of cheeses to take home. We purchased the truffle cheese (which is absolutely delicious and I highly suggest you try this!) and the smoked gouda. You can even take a cheese factory tour and it costs $15 CAD per person or $45 CAD for a family rate.
This cheese maker was our second stop and they are the oldest manufacturer of cheddar cheese in Ontario, Canada. They were open since 1874 and have award-winning cheeses. It’s a smaller store, but you can choose from a variety of things including maple syrup, sauces, and more. We took home the Sizzling Hot Cheese at this location!
3 – Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese
They are a leader in handmade artisan cheese and there is a variety of cheese to choose from here. You can taste the Swiss influence of cheesemaking through the cheese produced here. Upper Thames Brewery and Brickhouse Brewpub also use their cheese in their foods (which I’ll share more information on below). Here, you can also take a tour of the cheese factory and learn every stage of cheese production as well and it costs $10 CAD plus tax per person.
4 – Red Dragon Dairy
Red Dragon Dairy is a 128-acre dairy sheep and goat farm with a cheese plant and a retail store. Their specialty is sheep milk cheddar, Greek yogurt and also the Oxford County Cheese Trail’s only Greek feta and smoked feta stop.
5 – Golspie Dairy
This dairy farm has been in the family for over 140 years and they specialize in fresh dairy products and small-batch cheeses based on well-loved British staples. Their packaging is also home-compostable or refillable. They have a retail store and even a self-serving vending machine for farm-fresh milk with the choice of full-fat white or chocolate milk. You can bring your own bottle to refill or purchase one at the farm. And, they have a $2 CAD milk and cookies deal.
12 Best Places To Visit On The Oxford County Cheese Trail
1 – Udderly Ridiculous Farm Life
Here you can really experience farm life up close with their alpaca walks or goat cuddles. You can even adopt an animal for a year at a time. They’re also known for their gourmet goat milk ice cream which is rich in vitamins and nutrients and has fewer naturally occurring sugars so be sure to give them a try!
2 – Upper Thames Brewing Company
Upper Thames Brewing Company started in 2016 and is Oxford County’s first and only small-batch craft brewery which produces high-quality Ontario craft beer by sourcing local ingredients across Ontario. Their beer is unfiltered and preservative-free which guarantees fresh and tasty beer. Not only do they have 15 taps and 3 different-sized kegs to choose from, they also make their own craft sodas: Vanilla Cola (my favorite), Gingerale, Cream Soda, and Root Beer.
You can also take a free tour of the brewery and there are many other live events throughout the week so you can find many things to do while enjoying your brew.
Opened in 2018, Brickhouse Brewpub is a part of Upper Thames Brewing Company but it is a full-service restaurant with on-site brewing along with 25 taps of independent Ontario craft beer with 13 from Upper Thames Brewing Company. It also has a small retail bottleshop where you can purchase its beers, craft sodas, and other store merchandise. Their menu has many beer-infused ingredients and like many businesses on the Oxford County Cheese Trail, they also partner with other locally-operated businesses and you can see that in the ingredients they use.
The prices are very reasonable and the portions are huge! The food is mouth-watering good and the atmosphere has a rustic appeal to it. We may have ordered too much and had to take leftovers home – but it was still delicious the next day!
This British-themed and family-owned pub serves traditional English dishes with a twist – they recommend the Roast Beef Stuffed Yorkie bowl. They even offer wine and cheese boards featuring Charles Dickens’ favorites and they use 3 different cheese makers from the Oxford County Cheese Trail. This pub has 19 draught lines with an array of Irish imports and its interior offers the perfect setting to tie it all in.
4 – Sixthirtynine
Opened for dinner, reserve one of four spots at the Chef’s Table to get the full experience of this farm-to-table restaurant. Sixthirtynine is a family-owned restaurant with a New Canadian menu along with an award-winning cheese board. And you can enjoy it all on their patio with garden views in the summer or stay warm in their quaint dining space in the winter! With their own family farm and local products providing in-season ingredients, their beautifully-prepared food is great for food lovers or a nice date night.
5 – Woodstock Museum National Historic Site
I really didn’t know how much history Oxford County had until I visited the Woodstock Museum. This museum opened in 1948 and was also visited several times by the British Royal Family. Prior to that, it was Woodstock’s city hall and the council chambers are on the first floor of the museum. The Great Murder Trial, also known as the greatest murder trial of the 1890s, also took place in the Grand Hall here.
Today, there are both permanent exhibits as well as changing exhibits at this museum and there are over 400 artifacts and 125 images to check out as you tour the building. Some artifacts even dates back to the 400 BC era so I’d say this museum is worth visiting! It is free to visit this museum, but they accept donations here so you can give as you wish.
This chocolate artisan has Canada’s largest selection of bean-to-bar chocolate and a variety of different chocolate treats. They even have chocolate bars that are up to 100% dark chocolate. The chocolate is made there in this small store, along with the brie ice cream that you need to try (don’t forget, we’re still on the Oxford County Cheese Trail!). You can shop for other merchandise and goodies to take home as a souvenir too.
If you love bakeries as I do, you’ll want to visit the Whisk And Roll Bakery. You can find vintage baked goods with a twist that’s made from scratch. Everything is made with local ingredients and a Woodstock favorite is the cheddar dill pickle biscuit and you’ll also want to try the Old Fashion Glazed Mini Donuts, Crowdie Parfait, and Rhubarb Sour Cream Scone. Soup, sandwiches, and salads are available too if this is your lunch stop on the cheese trail!
This maple novelty store is now owned by five generations of maple producers since 1876. The Jakeman family invented the world’s only patented pure filtration process for their maple syrup which guarantees consistency in flavor every time. Their maple syrup is award-winning and they sell all types of maple products including maple candy, cookies, and popcorn. You can purchase their products online and there’s free shipping in Canada if you spend over $100 CAD.
9 – Ingersoll Cheese And Agricultural Museum
Have you ever been to a cheese museum? This is a must-visit stop on the Oxford County Cheese Trail since you can learn the history of cheese making in Ontario since the 1800s. This museum was opened in 1977 and there are over 45,000 artifacts exhibited here, and a majority of them came from The Oxford County Museum School.
You can go on a tasting tour, there’s a cheese playground, and you can taste their cheese biscuits from the museum’s stone bake oven. Their gift shop provides a selection of cheese, souvenirs, candy, and more for you to take home.
10 – The Wine Cellar And Cheese Shop
Started as a small-town shop to create your own quality wines, it has grown to offer a large range of Ontario and international, artisan cheeses since Oxford County has a rich history of dairy farming and cheesemaking – it just made sense. You can find cheeses from the local area, as well as other provinces like Quebec and Manitoba, and internationally from Wisconsin to the UK, France, and other countries. You can even try a different lunch item made by Chef Sean every Saturday.
11 – The Olde Bakery Café
This café is a great spot for breakfast and lunch and is known for its decadent desserts (including their Crowdie Honey Danish with the crowdie supplied from Golspie Dairy), sandwiches, and specialty coffees and teas. There’s also a small area to shop for loose-leaf teas, tea accessories, locally-roasted fair trade coffee, and other souvenirs. They recommend giving the Mexican Caramel Latte a try as it’s made with Cajeta goats milk caramel made in Ingsersoll by Local Dairy Products.
12 – Thames River Melons
If you like fresh fruit and vegetables and are able to take them back home or to your accommodations, this family-owned farm is just the place to go. They also have their own line of preservatives like jams, pickles, sauces, spreads, and more – honey too from their own beehives. On this farm, there are multiple walking trails, a kids’ play area, a Farm Kitchen where they make their own baked goods including fruit pies and ready-to-eat meals too. There’s even a farm food truck where you can order fries, milkshakes, and burgers. Everything you find on this farm is homemade and made with their own produce. And when the season is right, you can pick your own fruits or vegetables on their property.
Keep an eye out for their farm produce and preserves in local grocery stores and at farmers’ markets across Southwestern Ontario if you don’t make it to this stop on the Oxford County Cheese Trail.
Additional Places To Visit
The Oxford County Cheese Trail has several more stops you can visit or interchange with the list above with more restaurants, stores, museums, and farms to choose from including the following:
Coyle’s Country Store
Dad’s Ice Cream
Greener Pastures Eco Farm
Louie’s Pizza And Pasta
Norwich Museum
Patina’s Gifts of Arts and Craft
Wild Comfort Body Care
Your Farm Market
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