Photo Karen Graham.
Pictured is Heily Teasdale, founder of Ontario Cheese Union at her booth at the July 28th Millbrook Farmers’ Market.
Heily Teasdale got the idea for the name of her business from a Swiss firm called the Swiss Cheese Union.
The business acts as a distributor of hand-crafted cheese produced in Ontario by small family businesses, offering a curated selection of artisan cheeses made of cow, goat, ewe and water buffalo milk. From May to October, she hits the farmers’ markets in Lakefield, Millbrook, the Quaker Urban Park and Cobourg and works in the Peterborough Regional market for most of the year. Her products are also available at the 1840 Vineyard in Orono where she occasionally runs wine and cheese pairing events.
A few years ago, the cheese business literally came knocking on Heily’s door. Her neighbour had decided to go back to school and asked Heily if she would be interested in taking over her cheese distribution business. Heily had occasionally filled in for her at local markets so she was comfortable with selling, and a deal was done. The timing was not great, as her first gig was at the Peterborough indoor winter market three weeks before the world shut down because of Covid, making her wonder if her business was over before it had really begun. Fortunately markets remained open, albeit outdoors. During the lock downs, Farmers’ markets became become social hubs, so there was no shortage of customers looking for something new. To expand her sales, she joined a few farmer direct delivery services and soon her sales were climbing.
The cheeses Heily distributes must be handcrafted in Ontario and the companies owned by families, no products from collectives or corporations are included. To sell a cheese convincingly, Heily must be truly smitten by its taste, texture and provenance. This was particularly important during Covid when sampling was not allowed.
Among the products distributed by Ontario Cheese Union are goat cheeses from the Sarnia area, Dutch Gouda from New Hamburg, French styles from Kapuskasing, Swiss style cheese from Woodstock and St. Mary’s, Italian cheese from Woodbridge, raw milk organic products from the Kingston area and a wide selection of blues, cheddars and raclette from across the province. Some of the producers are Gunn’s Hill, Fifth Town, Back 40, Glengarry Fine Cheeses and Bushgarden.
Drop into the Ontario Cheese Union booth at the next Millbrook Farmers’ Market where you will find a wide selection of local cheeses and even get a chance to sample some to help you choose the ones to take home. KG