Celebrating 10 years on the Oxford County Cheese Trail
The Oxford County Cheese trail has attracted visitors from around the globe over the past 10 years
Tourism Oxford is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Oxford County Cheese Trail. The 27-stop cheese trail was launched in 2015 to promote Oxford County’s rich history as the Dairy Capital of Canada and encourage visitors to check out the fantastic local cheesemakers, attractions, restaurants and retailers who offer fun activities and unique flavours all related to dairy.
The self-guided cheese trail tour has grown to include 31 stops, including 6 cheese factories, 2 ice cream makers and 3 cheese shops. The cheese trail has attracted visitors from across the globe and earned provincial accolades. Tourism Oxford was presented with the Culinary Tourism of Excellence Award for Leadership in 2016 after the launch of the cheese trail and won the Event of the Year at the 2019 Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence and Tourism for its annual Big Cheese Days event.
The Oxford County Cheese Trail has led to speaking engagements across North America and has been featured internationally by travel media. The cheese trail is one of the only tourist destinations in southwestern Ontario featured on AccessNow to enhance customer service and accessibility for the Oxford County Cheese Trail for people with physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory disabilities.
Big Cheese Days in May has been a cheese trail fixture since its inception in 2015 and was initially used to kick off the new tourism product. Businesses learned what customers enjoyed and adapted their business to provide those products and services year-round. Big Cheese Days returns every Saturday this May with special offers, exclusive tastes, cheese factory tours, hands-on experiences, and extra cheesy menus. Learn more at www.tourismoxford.ca/big_cheese_days.aspx/
Comment
Meredith Maywood, Tourism Specialist, Oxford County
"I am forever grateful to my predecessor, Cathy Bingham, who came up with the Oxford County Cheese Trail concept over 10 years ago. The trail has been a remarkable success, attracting visitors from across the globe, and is a real economic driver for the region."
Cathy Bingham, retired Tourism Specialist, Oxford County
“Oxford County has one of the richest cheese histories in Canada, stretching back to the 1800s, when close to 100 cheese factories dotted the County.”
Quick facts
· When Cheese was King: A history of the Cheese Factories in Oxford County by Edward Moore offers a complete history of the cheese factories in Oxford County dating back to the 1800s. The book was published by the Norwich Archives Committee in 1987 and can be borrowed from the Oxford County Library.
· The Ingersoll Cheese and Agricultural Museum has over 4,500 artifacts in its collection that pay tribute to the significant cheese-making and agriculture history in Oxford County and the Town of Ingersoll.
· Tourism Oxford suggests making five stops in a day and travelling by hub. Blandford-Blenheim, Woodstock, Gunn’s Hill, Tillsonburg, and Ingersoll hubs have stops within 5-15 minutes of each other, and most are open Wednesday through Saturday.
· The Oxford County Cheese Trail Map makes it easy to plan your trip along the cheese trail.
· Tourism Oxford has created Google Map routes to help with your driving tour. The routes include options for all cheese stops, cheese makers, dairy makers, and shops. Itineraries are available for friends outings, solo trips, family fun, or an overnight culinary adventure.
· Ride Oxford offers ways to Cycle the Cheese Trail using road and gravel routes that pass several stops on the Oxford County Cheese Trail.