Unlike the shop in the famous Monty Python sketch, the 5th annual Great Canadian Cheese Festival in Picton (June 6 and 7) looks like it will be FULL of cheesy comestibles, from cheddar to camembert.
Some 30 cheese producers from across the country will be serving up roughly 150 kinds of cheese. You can also sample other foods, beer and wine; in total, about 500 foods and beverages will be available to wandering noshers. And if you’re an early bird, you’re in luck: the first thousand people through the gates of the Picton Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 6, will get a free sample of fresh cheese curds from the St. Albert Cheese Co-op, while the first thousand on Sunday, June 7, will get a free grilled cheese sandwich from one of several producers.
Photo © Laura Byrne Paquet.
And here’s a different deal: If you order your tickets online and use the promotional code CF15QUINTE at checkout, you’ll get a 25% discount (at least, that discount is still available as I write this).
But wait! There’s more! If you don’t feel like driving all the way to Prince Edward County, Ottawa’s Savvy Company is offering a bus tour package on Saturday that includes round-trip transportation to Picton, festival admission, tours of a cider company and a winery, and tickets to a gourmet cheeseburger dinner for $165 per person (including HST).
I haven’t made it to this festival yet, but it’s definitely on my “to see” list.