The Cheese Gallery Top 10

In June we celebrated 10 years of business in downtown Thornbury. 10 YEARS! While it’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years at the same time it seems like yesterday. To mark the occasion we asked the staff to make a list (with no peeking at anyone else’s list) of the Top 10 items in the shop that they can’t live without. There were definitely some overlap on items and some of them will come as no surprise to anyone who has been in the shop. We have consolidated the Top 10 into one easy to shop for collection, or a specially priced bundle that features all 10 items. Keep reading and find out what makes a Top 10 list as chosen by the staff! 

THE CHEESE GALLERY TOP 10
(In a rough but not definitive order) 

COMTE

It only seems appropriate to kick off our Top 10 with Comte, all time favourite cheese of our fearless leader. Comte is a raw milk protected cheese from an eastern province in France. Nutty and salty with combined sweet and savoury notes this is one of the cheese that is not to be missed. A perfect addition to a cheese board but robust enough to be enjoyed as a stand alone treat - there is a reason this is Casey’s favourite!

FEIGE'S SALAD DRESSINGS

These salad dressing’s from Feige’s are not only are they a staple in our shops kitchen, appearing on our in-house organic salads (we miss serving you lunch!) - but’s it’s not unusual to see the staff dressing their own lunch salads from the bottle in the fridge. We often see multiple bottles go home with customers, and the hardest part is picking a favourite flavour! This is a must have, especially with all the amazing local produce coming into season, do yourself a favour and visit a local grower, top their produce with some Feige’s and change your mind about how amazing the simple things can be (we are always happy to give cheese recommendations for salads as well!) 

FRAKTALS

No surprise to anyone who has tasted them, Fracktals are an absolute staple in The Cheese Gallery. A rich butter crunch core, topped with milk or dark Belgian Chocolate and a sprinkle of cashews - they are a perfect treat. Also amazing for hostess gifts, teacher gifts or just a hide-from-your-family-and-treat yourself gift, if you haven’t tried Fracktals what are you waiting for!!! 

CHEF PATRICK'S QUICHE

Another item that is a staple in our cafe and in our freezer section is Chef Patrick's quiche and we can tell you this authentic quiche is a brunch staple! Available in two flavours - Quiche Lorraine (traditional ham & cheese) and a Roasted Vegetable and Goat cheese - these quiches disappear almost as quickly as we can stock them. Add some locally grown greens to the side and top with another Top 10 item, Feige’s dressing and you have a perfect brunch, lunch or light dinner option! If you are looking to simplify your life (and aren’t we all?) add these quiches Into your rotation!

2 YEAR APPLETREE SMOKED CHEDDAR

One of our top selling cheeses, our 2-year Appletree Smoked Cheddar from the Cows Creamery in PEI this cheese is naturally smoked over apple wood for 24 hours and aged for 2 years. Perfect on a Burger, Grilled Cheese or on a cheese board, this smokey cheddar is a crowd pleaser! It’s also our signature item on the @applepietrail. Missing our Grilled Cheese of the week (us too friends, us too) - we often feature our applewood cheddar paired with a spicy fruit chutney (apricot red pepper is a good choice), sliced local apple and some of our delicious prosciutto! Or how about a Burger topped with Applewood Cheddar and crispy bacon, sounds like a great idea to us. 

GIFFEN'S BUTTER TARTS

If you have been in The Cheese Gallery (& are a Canadian) Giffen’s Butter Tarts sell almost faster than we can bring them into the shop. What better way to celebrate than with a package of these perfect butter tarts. We have tasted a lot of tarts and truly believe these are the perfect blend, not too runny, not too firm and just enough pastry. When Laura took over the family business she made it her mission to recreate Grandma Giffen’s famous butter tarts, lots of test batches and family tastings later, these tarts were released to the world. There is a reason they were GRAND CHAMPION at the Royal Winter Fair in 2019! If you haven’t tasted them yet, stop what you are doing and get yourself some. 

MUSHROOM CROUSTADES

These absolutely delicious Mushroom Croustades are from The Kitchen Meaford and are a crowd pleaser! These ridiculously good mushroom bites have dedicated following of customers and staff members. When looking at our top ten lists one staff member exclaimed “I can’t believe I forgot the mushroom croustades”! These croustades, like the butter tarts, leave the shop at alarming rates - “Casey, can you order more croustades?” is a frequent refrain in the shop. Perfect for entertaining or just keeping in your freezer when you need a little something these croustades are a definite must have.

IN-HOUSE PASTRY BOX

How about the delicious treats baked in house by Noemie and Marylee, these are a labour of love here at The Cheese Gallery! Whether you are a brownie aficionado or a kid at heart that wants to dive into our peanut butter marshmallow squares, these ladies bake one amazing treat! When The Cheese Gallery expanded and added it’s coffee bar in the 5th year, there was one caveat that came with the treats - we must have the Hello Dollies and Peanut Butter Squares Casey remembered from her youth, made the old fashioned way; they have been fan favourites ever since! Add into that Noemie’s incredible french inspired baking and it’s the perfect way to indulge your sweet tooth.

TRUFFLE CHIPS

This is the only item in the Top 10 we all voted for - so it must be cheese right? Wrong!  Shocking to anyone who has not tasted these chips, not at all to those who have, Torres Black Truffle Potato Chips are our unanimous absolute must have! First timers are often back within days to purchase more and we’ve even sold them by the case. When customers ask us for something “Truffle” in the shop - these are what we point to. Sarah is well known for saying to people “Buy 2, you are going to share the first bag with your friends, and then you are going to be mad at yourself for sharing. Hide the second bag for yourself!” (kidding - sharing is always a good idea - except maybe when it is truffle chips) Enjoy these chips with a glass of wine and you may have the makings of a perfect evening.

CHATEAU DE BOURGOGNE

The final item on our Must have Top 10 is the one you may have been waiting for. While it only received 3 out of the 4 votes, there was no other way to end our top 10 list but with this incredible Chateau de Bourgogne triple cream cheese. Beloved by our clientele this is definitely one of the top selling items in the shop. It even has a code name (raise your hand if you know what it is)! Made from pasteurized cow’s milk in the Burgundy region of France this cheese is buttery, soft and oh so creamy. A tip from us, don’t be afraid to let a small round of this cheese age (even a week or two past it’s best before date), it get’s even creamier and more exceptional! A chunk of Chateau, a fresh baguette (have you tried our new locally made baguettes?!?!) and a chutney like our Cottage Country North Balsamic Maple Fig is all you need to make any occasion special - even if it’s just binge watching netflix with your bubble! 

THE TOP 10 BASKET

Want to add all of this deliciousness to your life, we have bundled all the items together and are offering it at a special price. It would make an amazing gift, so we have added a gift wrapped option for you as well. 

So there you have it friends - the Top 10 items that the staff at The Cheese Gallery have picked for you! We hope you have had a chance to try some of our favourites.

Have we missed any? Let us know in the comments