Oxford County Cheese Trail: Enjoy curds and way too much fun

Based around Woodstock between Kitchener-Waterloo and London, Oxford County is the cheese capital of Ontario. If you’re looking for a ready-made way to explore it, check out the Oxford County Cheese Trail. With more than 30 available stops and a central location at the junction of Highways 401 and 403, Oxford County is an easy drive from most points in Southern Ontario.

Whether you love country drives or you’re really into cheese, you’ll love this fantastically cheesy day trip or weekend road trip idea! Here’s a look at how to explore the Oxford County Cheese Trail.

We’ve made multiple visits to the Oxford County Cheese Trail, which we’ve planned independently. Have questions about planning your road trip? Join our Facebook community!

In this article:

What is a cheese trail?

A look inside the cheese vault at Mountainoak Cheese, a stop on the Oxford County Cheese Trail

The cheese display case at Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese, a stop on the Oxford County Cheese Trail

A cheese trail is a driving route that connects a variety of cheese-related destinations. Cheesemakers and cheesemongers (cheese shops) are typically the main attractions. A cheese trail may also suggest restaurants that feature local cheeses prominently on their menus. Food or beverage producers that compliment cheese such as apple orchards or maple syrup farms are often added. Other stops could include ice cream shops, agricultural museums, and more.

How to explore the Oxford County Cheese Trail

A friendly cow greets visitors at Mountainoak Cheese

Outside Mountainoak Cheese, a stop on the Oxford County Cheese Trail

The Oxford County Cheese Trail can be explored in many ways, from day trips to weekend getaways or longer. Here, we’ve highlighted our favourite day trip itinerary, which focuses on the region’s most prominent cheesemakers.

If your starting point is in Southern Ontario, you should be able to reach Oxford County and visit these three cheese producers within half a day. This leaves the morning or afternoon to make more stops along Oxford County Cheese Trail, venture out to explore the neighbouring regions, or make it home in time for dinner.

Here’s a look at our suggested day trip itinerary for the Oxford County Cheese Trail. Don’t forget to bring a cooler with you so you can safety transport your cheese haul home!

Try curds and creative cheeses at Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese

Outside Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese, a stop on the Oxford County Cheese Trail

Three types of cheese from Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese, a stop on the Oxford County Cheese Trail

Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese is a family-operated cheese producer based in Woodstock, Ontario. The cheesemaker, Shep Ysselstein, received his training in the Swiss Alps. His father and brother operate the third-generation Holstein farm next door, which produces the milk that goes into Gunn’s Hill cheeses.

Plenty of cheese varieties are made and sold here, from soft-ripened rounds to beer or wine-soaked cheeses, smoked and herb-infused cheeses, and more. Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese offers fresh curds on Fridays and Saturdays, but arrive early: they tend to sell out quickly!

Sample rich, traditional cheddars at Bright Cheese and Butter

Packages of cheese purchased at Bright Cheese & Butter, a stop on the Oxford County Cheese Trail

At the counter inside Bright Cheese and Butter in Bright, Ontario

Bright Cheese and Butter, based in the village of Bright, is Canada’s oldest registered independent cheese company. Bright’s cheeses tend to have below-average moisture content, which makes them very rich and ideal for melting. The cozy shop offers a selection of house-made semi-hard cheeses such as cheddar, Colby, and Havarti, as well as local artisan products.

Pick out classic Gouda in a variety of flavours at Mountainoak Cheese

Inside the cheese vault at Mountainoak Cheese, a stop on the Oxford County Cheese Trail

Mountainoak Cheese, located just outside the community of New Hamburg, is an essential stop on the Oxford County Cheese Trail. Adam and Hannie van Bergeijk learned how to produce Gouda in the Netherlands before immigrating to Canada in 1996. Here, you’ll find gouda in all its forms: aged, smoked, or infused with black truffle, chili peppers, fenugreek, and much more. Fresh cheese products such as curds and quark are also available.

Mountainoak also operates a fantastic tour that can be booked in advance. Don’t forget to visit the cows — they’ll most likely wander over to say hello!

When is the best time of year to explore the Oxford County Cheese Trail?

A freshly picked apple from an Ontario orchard

Trees brimming with apples during harvest season in Ontario

Many of the stops on the Oxford County Cheese Trail operate year-round, so it’s easy to plan a great visit any time. Our favourite time of year for this tour is in the autumn during apple-picking season.

Apples and cheese go brilliantly together. Drive to Oxford County in the morning to pick up a selection of cheeses, then swing by your favourite orchard for some apple picking in the afternoon. By evening, you’ll have a fabulous local fall tasting board full of the good things that grow in Ontario!

Outside Woodside National Historic Site in Kitchener, Ontario

A hiking trail at Woodside National Historic Site in Kitchener, Ontario

There’s one more reason we love taking this road trip in autumn: it’s a perfect way to work in a side trip to Woodside National Historic Site. This Victorian-era heritage property in Kitchener was the boyhood home of Canada’s longest-serving Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King.

The grounds are open here year-round, but if you’re interested in seeing the inside, you’ll need to visit in the fall. The historic mansion at Woodside National Historic Site opens for tours from Thanksgiving weekend until just after Christmas.

Heading back to the east? Check out some more places to explore in Waterloo Region >

Explore more Ontario road trips >