The July selection of specially selected cheeses is here for our subscribers in the Almonte Cheese Club!
If you don’t yet know about our cheese club and you love cheese, maybe it’s time to learn about it! Our Cheese Club members have the chance to sample delightful Canadian cheeses that we specially select each month. If you’re interested in learning more, just visit our Almonte Cheese Club page. (Of course, if you’re lucky, you may find some of these in our fridge to buy when you visit.)
In July 2026, the featured trio of cheeses have been sourced from cheesemakers in Quebec and Ontario.
Fromagerie Le Détour, St-Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Québec
Founded in 1999, Fromagerie Le Détour in Quebec’s Notre-Dame-du-Lac region is known among North American culinary connoisseurs for its fine cheeses, notably from the American Cheese Society.
Husband and wife team Ginette Bégin and Mario Quirion first created Grey Owl at the request of an American client. It was sold in the United States in 2007, and only introduced to the Canadian market in early 2008 when the cheese was officially christened the ‘Grey Owl’.
La Dame du Lac
This semi-soft cheese with a bloomy rind is made with pasteurized skim milk. It has a soft, orangey rind covered lightly with a white bloom. It smells of mushrooms and cellar. The cheese has a smooth, creamy interior that ranges in colour from ivory to straw yellow and is marked with small holes when young. These holes disappear with age to create a smooth, runny interior. La Dame du Lac has a delicate lactic flavour of cream and butter.
Suggested wine / beer: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay medium, fruity beer.
Kampkreek Dairies, Strafford, Ontario
Kampkreek Dairies is an operation built by five siblings in a continuation of a third-generation farm. Their goal is to provide fresh water buffalo dairy products from their farm to your home.
This is a new cheese maker for us! We hope you will enjoy their cheeses. We also currently have some of their water buffalo summer sausage (lovely and smokey!) and several flavours of pepperettes. In our fridges you’ll also find a small selection of some of their other cheeses, including a mozzarella de bufflonne.
Hive & Horn
This mild gouda, Hive & Horn is an artisan, semi-firm buffalo milk cheese. It is gently soaked in local mead, giving it delicate tasting notes of toasted grains and wildflower honey. Sweet, floral, and beautifully balanced with a subtle mead kiss, with notes of wildflower honey, toasted nuts, and a soft caramel finish. Richer and creamier than traditional cheeses, with that signature buffalo milk depth and a unique touch of sweetness from the mead.
Suggested wine / beer: Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, dry Riesling, ale.
Fromagerie Rang 9, Plessisville, Québec
Fromagerie Rang 9 is an artisan cheese dairy founded in the early 1990s by the Dubois family. The family has been farming according to organic principals for two generations.
This cheesemaker focuses on making cheese with milk they produce on their farm. In September 2023, CDA cheese distributor launched a private label called Fous du Fromage. They approach Rang 9 to produce “Au Bout du Rang”.
Au Bout du Rang
A cheese made from pasteurized milk, with a semi-firm paste and a soft, melting texture, featuring a washed rind. This cheese, with aromas of caramel butter and hay, offers subtle flavors of buttery wood and warm potatoes that will transport you to the heart of the countryside.
Suggested wine / beer: Pinot noir, Beaujolais, Gewürztraminer, IPA.