These cheese shops near Ottawa will have you reaching for the crackers

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Where are the best places in and near Ottawa to buy cheese? Whether your taste runs to cheddar, brie, chèvre, camembert, gouda, roquefort or anything in between, these cheesemakers and cheese shops in Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais and beyond are great road trip destinations. Don’t forget to bring your cooler. (P.S.: I’ve also provided tips on other things you can see and do near each spot, so you can make a day of it.)

Note that all photos below were taken in pre-COVID times; all of the companies are currently taking COVID safety measures, such as masks and social distancing.

St. Albert Cheese Co-op, St. Albert, Ontario

Dating back to 1894, this cheesemaker is one of Eastern Ontario’s oldest. Not even a catastrophic fire in 2013 knocked the St. Albert Cheese Co-op out for long; the company rebuilt from the ground up. Today, you can buy cheese onsite or online, take a self-guided tour of the factory, or nosh on cheesy dishes in the restaurant. For many people in Ottawa, the phrase “St. Albert cheese curds” is pretty much synonymous with “poutine”—the cheese factory usually runs a big Curd Festival every year—so make sure to pick up a bag of squeaky-fresh goodness in the onsite shop if you’re a fan of the chip-truck staple.

Address: 150 St. Paul Street, St. Albert, Ontario (57 kilometres from Parliament Hill).

What to do nearby: Take a self-driving route past the Popsilos, a cluster of silos throughout Prescott-Russell painted with eye-catching murals depicting local themes, and pop into the 1844 Bistro Pub and Eatery in Casselman for a meal and some local craft beers (if you have a designated driver, of course!).

COVID-19 note: The observation catwalk above the factory floor is currently closed.

Fromagerie Montebello, Montebello, Quebec

Fromagerie Montebello‘s Alain Boyer began making cheese as a teenager in the late 1980s. Decades later, he became one of the owners of this charming cheese shop and developed the prize-winning Rebellion 1837 blue-veined cheese. I’ll candidly admit that I normally hate blue cheese, but this mild version made from cow’s milk won me over. However, the one I bought to take home was Tête à Papineau, a mild, semi-soft cheese that would please just about any cheese-plate crowd.

Address: 687-A Notre-Dame Street, Montebello, Quebec (84 kilometres from Parliament Hill)

What to do nearby: The ChocoMotive chocolate shop (502 Notre-Dame Street) makes some of the best hot chocolate in the Outaouais, in my humble opinion. The truffles and other chocolate goodies are great, too. And the shop is part of Quebec’s network of economusées—artisanal businesses that incorporate displays and demonstrations about the history of their industry—so it’s also educational. That means the calories don’t count, right? ????

COVID-19 note: Fromagerie Montebello’s shop is open seven days a week, but it is also taking online orders for free delivery throughout much of the southern Outaouais, including Gatineau (no delivery to Ontario, unfortunately).

Balderson Village Cheese Store, Balderson, Ontario

For a small crossroads hamlet, Balderson has a lot of popular shops! One favourite with road trippers is the Balderson Village Cheese Store, which does indeed sell many, many kinds of cheese, but also sells much more, including honey, maple syrup, crackers, sauces and dips, sausages, coffee, cheese boards, and home decor items. Cheese has been made in this tiny community since 1881; you can learn a bit about that history (and get some tasty-looking recipes) in this article on the Foodism Toronto website.

Address: 1410 Highway 511, Balderson, Ontario (85 kilometres from Parliament Hill)

What to do nearby: In the same building, The Amish Store sells handcrafted furniture. And the town of Perth, packed with shops and restaurants, is just a 10-minute drive away.

COVID-19 note: The Balderson Village Cheese Store is open seven days a week and also sells a wide range of products online.

Glengarry Fine Cheese, Lancaster, Ontario

The Peters family, which owns Glengarry Fine Cheese, raises Holstein cows on their farm across the road. They use the farm’s milk for their wide range of cheeses—you can’t get much more local than that! I’m partial to their Dutch-style Lankaaster hard cheese; other varieties include Figaro (soft cow’s-milk cheese), Fleur-en-Lait (a French-style semi-soft cheese) and Celtic Blue. If you can’t make it out to Lancaster, you can pick up the company’s cheeses at many stores and markets in Ottawa and across Eastern Ontario.

Address: 5926 County Road 34, Lancaster, Ontario (122 kilometres from Parliament Hill)

What to do nearby: About 20 minutes to the southwest, the Blue Anchor Bar and Grill on the outskirts of Cornwall has a big deck overlooking the St. Lawrence River. Check their Facebook page for current menus and hours.

COVID-19 note: The shop is open six days a week (closed Sundays) and is also selling hard cheeses for delivery by mail to Ontario and Quebec addresses; see the website for details on ordering by phone or email.

More cheese shops in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais

Still hungry? Here are a few more places you could check out.

• Jacobsons, 103 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa: As well as a wide variety of specialty foods, gift baskets and a huge range of cheeses, this New Edinburgh gourmet shop sells all sorts of items to complement your cheese purchase—chili-and-olive-oil crackers, English oatcakes, pickled shallots, ploughman’s chutney and much more. You can also sign up for a cheese of the month club.
• Grace in the Kitchen/Serious Cheese, 255 Kanata Avenue, Kanata: This is another spot with a dizzying variety of cheeses, as well as cookware, packaged foods and more.
• International Cheese & Deli, 40 ByWard Market Square, Ottawa: Looking for something a bit unusual—Norwegian Ekte Gjetost goat cheese, perhaps, or a Bulgarian lactose-free feta? This packed little shop in the ByWard Market just might have it.
• The House of Cheese Ltd., 34 ByWard Market Square, Ottawa: Just a few doors down from International Cheese is another fabulous shop worth checking out for its extensive selection of Canadian and world fromages.
• Il Negozio Nicastro, 1355 Wellington Street West and 792 Bank Street, Ottawa: From its locations in Wellington Village and the Glebe, this grocer sells some 150 types of cheese, as well as deli meats, Italian groceries, sandwiches, oven-ready meals and more.
• La Bottega Nicastro, 64 George Street, Ottawa: This large ByWard Market shop is another great source of Italian groceries—including a dizzying range of sauces, pastas and oils—as well as bread, deli meats, produce, sweets and all sorts of cheeses.
• La Trappe à Fromage, 200 Bellehumeur, Gatineau; 114 Saint-Raymond, Hull; 425 Vanier, Aylmer; 121A Georges, Masson-Angers; 1797 Carrefour, Val-des-Monts: With well-stocked shops across the Outaouais, this is a primo destination for all things cheesy.
• The Cheddar Stop, 10471 Highway 7, Carleton Place: From the busy highway, you might not realize there’s a cheese shop here, because the big sign out front reads “ICE CREAM. FUDGE.” They do indeed sell ice cream and amazing house-made fudge (we loved the Irish cream), but this family business also sells its own and other local cheeses, as well as olive oils, chutneys and all sorts of other packaged goods. The house-made Oktoberfest cheddar, now in stock, is nice and sharp.
• Pêches & Poivre, 89 Mill Street, Almonte: This charming food shop stocks all sorts of gourmet food products—tapenades, cookies, teas, olives, spices and much more. The excellent cheese selection includes lots of Ontario and Quebec products, and there’s a cheese of the month club.
• Upper Canada Creamery, 11575 Waddell Road, Iroquois: This recommendation came from a reader, who says the company “makes cheese curds to die for.” Other products made with the creamery’s own organic milk include yogurt, cream-top milk, ice cream and a Pinconning-style cheese.

• Mrs. McGarrigle’s, 311 St. Lawrence Street, Merrickville: Sure, their myriad flavours of mustard are their calling card, but this great gourmet shop also sells a huge selection of cheeses (which do go very well with mustard, I have to say). Lots of other foods and cookware are available, too.
• Perth Cheese Shop, 64 Gore Street East, Perth: With an emphasis on local, ethically produced cheeses and meats, this shop has everything you need to put together a fabulous charcuterie board.
• Back Forty Artisan Cheese, 1406 Gulley Road, Mississippi Station: This small family-owned company in rural Lanark County makes cheeses named after local places (such as Flower Station cow’s milk feta, and Bonnechere raw ewe’s milk cheese).
• Forfar Dairy, 1536 County Road 42, Portland: A reader gave a shoutout to this almost century-old cheese company, which sells its own cheddars and cheeses of the world from its Rideau Lakes-area shop.
• Wilton Cheese Factory, 287 Simmons Road, Odessa: The reader who cited this cheesemaker just west of Kingston says it makes the “best cheddar I’ve ever had.” As well as Colby, marble and various flavoured cheeses, Wilton also makes curds.
• Maple Dale Cheese, 2864 Highway 37, Plainfield: Another reader sang the praises of this spot just north of Belleville. Dating back to 1888 and with a fourth-generation cheesemaker overseeing things, Maple Dale makes curds and a wide range of cheddars, including flavours such as Mediterranean, Caribbean and extra-hot smoked.
• Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company, 4309 County Road 8, Picton: Sure, Prince Edward County is a long way to go for cheese…but the cheese made at Fifth Town is really, really tasty. (Try the medal-winning Cape Vessey goat cheese, which comes in regular and truffle versions.)

Still hungry? Check out my huge list of Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and Outaouais companies that currently deliver groceries.

Do you have a favourite local cheese shop or cheesemaker that’s not on this list? Email me and I’ll try to check it out!

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