Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring/Summer 2019 | Page 27

Road-tripping in Canada’s Dairy Capital
BY M I C H E L E S P O N AG L E
W
hen it comes to all things cheese-related in Canada,
Oxford County is where it all began. This region
currently produces most of the milk in Ontario, to the
tune of 286 million litres annually, earning it the title,
Canada’s Dairy Capital. Where you find milk, you’ll find
cheese—and the region has plenty of the stuff, which
sparked the creation of its very own “cheese trail.” This
f lavourful route features 24 curated stops where visitors
can explore fromageries and related businesses, all just a
few hours’ drive west of Toronto.
This claim to cheesy fame isn’t a recent thing: In the
1800s, Oxford County had 98 cheese factories. While that
number has gone down, there are still many noteworthy
producers—all combined, they’ve racked up 36 different
awards over the past six years. The factories honoured
include Bright Cheese and Butter (founded in 1874), Gunn’s
Hill Artisan Cheese, Local Dairy Products (maker of lesser
known types like Oaxaca and paneer), Mountainoak
Cheese (renowned for its gouda and factory tours) and
Quality Sheep Milk (notable for pecorino and feta).
PHOTOGRAPHY: (opposite page) Damian Dudek; (this page, clockwise from top left) Damian Dudek, Stefanie Ponting, Damian Dudek, Ontario’s Southwest, Stefanie Ponting, Ontario’s Southwest
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