How to get to the Cheese Festival without driving

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You don’t own a car? Or you don’t want to drive! No problem! We have ways to get you to The Great Canadian Cheese Festival without wheels of your own.

From Toronto:

Join a guided bus tour from Toronto to the Cheese Festival organized by Culinary Adventure Company, with tastings at two wineries, gourmet lunch and Grab & Go Breakfast at CHEESEWERKS. Click here for more info and tickets.

From Ottawa and Kingston:

Enjoy a roundtrip coach package with Savvy Company leaving from Ottawa with pick-ups in Kingston. After an afternoon at the Cheese Festival, you will tour the back roads of Prince Edward County to visit two wineries, then back to Picton Fairgrounds for a fun dinner at Makers+Mongers in Cheeseburger Paradise. Click here for more info and tickets.

Entirely on your own:

Getting to Picton without a car is doable—but it calls for two steps. First, get to Belleville by Greyhound or Via Rail. Then, use the local transportation service, Deseronto Transit, to get to the Fairgrounds. Match up the two schedules and you’ll be enjoying cheese in no time. Another helpful resource: Prince Edward County Ride Share.

Save 10% off admission prices by ordering tickets online in advance. No waiting in line as the Express Entrance will quickly whisk you into all the deliciousness. Enter the promo code CF15WEB before starting your online ticket order here: http://cheesefestival.ca/tickets/

We look forward to welcoming you to the biggest cheese show in Canada.

—Festival Organizing Group aka Cheese FOG

 

CHEESEWERKS sponsors People’s Picks at Cheese Festival

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The Great Canadian Cheese Festival is mighty pleased to have CHEESEWERKS as a Presenting Partner for the second year.

In addition to lending its considerable promotional support, Canada’s only dedicated cheese restaurant will sponsor and organize an all-new, best-in-show awards program at the June 1-2 Festival in Picton, in the heart of Ontario’s Prince Edward County.

It will also return as a featured food vendor with awesome Mac + Cheese and Nachos like you’ve never had them before—all made with Canadian artisan cheese, of course!

CW_base_logoPEOPLE’S PICKS

CHEESEWERKS presents the first-ever PEOPLE’S PICKS at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival this year.

CHEESEWERKS is about experiences and creating memories through comfort and great food. The Toronto eatery will present PEOPLE’S PICKS, awards to recognize and honour the most popular cheese, foods and drinks and their artisan producers.

Guests will be given a ballot of PEOPLE’S PICKS that will act as votes for their favourites of the Festival.

PEOPLE’S PICKS will be awarded in six categories:

  • CHEESE (All types)
  • WINE (All types)
  • BEER (All types)
  • SWEET (Jams, Cookies, Corn, Snacks, etc.)
  • SAVOURY (Salsas, Spreads, Chutneys, Meats, etc.)
  • BEST BITE (The ultimate best bite/taste of the entire Festival)

Guests who cast their pick will have a chance to win a selection of prizes. The picks will be on display throughout the Festival—and will be recognized further at the restaurant and throughout social media by CHEESEWERKS and The Great Canadian Cheese Festival.

The Great Canadian Cheese Festival and CHEESEWERKS share the same mission: promote the best in Canadian cheese.

”As it’s the Super Bowl of Cheese in Canada, we are thrilled to support the Festival for a second year,” says Kevin Durkee, CHEESEWERKS Founder + Big Cheese.

CHEESEWERKS is the brainchild of Kevin Durkee and Tom Douangmixay, partners in life and business. Kevin and Tom are clearly foodies, with a love for honest, nostalgic comfort food, especially cheese, especially Canadian cheese. Kevin explains:

“Food is all about sharing and telling stories. Getting someone to try something for the first time—or discovering your world and enjoying an amazing meal. Food is what fundamentally connects us all. The food at CHEESEWERKS is really about ‘getting comfy.’ Easy to understand, easy to enjoy and incredibly satisfying.”

CHEESEWERKS is a restaurant first but also a retail shop for cheese, artisan items and event venue for culinary experiences like its signature Food Fight Trivia Night series. The restaurant, located at 56 Bathurst Street in downtown Toronto, is licensed, serving Ontario craft beer and local wine.

The Great Canadian Cheese Festival is a multi-faceted event that annually attracts thousands of consumers to meet, learn, taste and buy the best in Canadian artisan cheese and fine foods and sample fine wine, craft beer and crisp cider.

About 100 exhibitors and vendors and more than 3,000 consumers made the event last year the biggest cheese show in Canada representing producers from coast to coast. Growth is expected in 2013 with more than 30 cheesemakers from Newfoundland to British Columbia signed up, as well as 36 artisan foods producers, 24 wine and cider producers and a half-dozen craft brewers, plus other vendors.

The third annual Great Canadian Cheese Festival takes place June 1-2, 2013, at historic Crystal Palace and the Prince Edward Curling Club on the Picton Fairgrounds in the heart of Ontario’s Prince Edward County, one of Canada’s leading gastronomic destinations. Prince Edward County is located south of Belleville, Ontario, in Bay of Quinte Region, just off Highway 401, an easy drive from Toronto, Ottawa, New York State and even Montreal.

For more information, visit www.cheesefestival.ca or call 1.866.865.2628.

The Great Canadian Cheese Festival is produced by Cheese Lover Productions Inc., Georgs Kolesnikovs, President, with the support of Celebrate Ontario, Dairy Farmers of Canada and Bay of Quinte Region.

Cheesewerks the Official Grilled Cheese at Cheese Festival

Cheesewerks Original: Aged and double-smoked Balderson cheddars are grilled on cracked-peppercorn sourdough and served with roasted-garlic-red-pepper ketchup.

Cheesewerks has been named Official Grilled Cheese of the second annual Great Canadian Cheese Festival taking place June 1-3 in Picton, in the heart of Prince Edward County, the newest VQA wine region in Canada.

The Toronto grilled-cheese emporium is Canada’s first and only restaurant totally dedicated to placing artisan cheese at the centre of every plate. The Festival is Canada’s only event to showcase Canadian artisan cheese from coast to coast, along with artisan foods, fine wine and craft beer.

“Although we had more than 100 artisan cheeses on hand for sampling and purchase at the inaugural event, our patrons asked for more,” says Georgs Kolesnikovs, the Festival’s founder. “Thus was born the idea for a food court featuring grilled-cheese sandwiches and other eats.”

The Cheese Festival and Cheesewerks share the same mission: promote the best in Canadian cheese.

” We support 100% Canadian cheese, using Canadian artisan products throughout our menu and retail offering,” says Kevin Durkee, co-owner of Cheesewerks. “In fact, we are recognized and endorsed by the Dairy Farmers of Canada. Having the little blue cow as part of our credentials is amazing. The DFC designation is typically offered to producers and retail brands, to showcase their use of 100% Canadian Milk.  I’m not familiar of another restaurant that has been awarded this designation. We are very proud of this designation.”

Cheesewerks is developing a special menu for the Cheese Festival, but it’s sure to feature some of its more popular offerings such as:

  • Original: Balderson Aged and Double-Smoked Cheddars on Cracked Peppercorn Sourdough
  • Los Angeles: Havarti, Smashed Avacado, Arugula, Citrus Compote on Green Onion Potato Bread

Cheesewerks will be joined in the Festival’s food court by Buddha Dog and Primitive Cuisine during the Artisan Cheese & Fine Food Fair on Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3.

Space is limited at historic Crystal Palace and grounds. Save money and avoid disappointment by purchasing tickets online.