Zooper

A high end grocery store here sells Blue Stilton for $5.50 CDN or so per 100 grams. You may find it cheaper....but hard to say. Cheese is considered expensive here, and for the most part is. Even local cheeses.
This same grocery store has over 200 varieties of cheese, most from Europe. No shortage of choice.

I'll stick my neck out and say in Canada, Quebec produces some of our best cheeses. Some of which are found in grocery stores outside of Quebec. Cheese like Champfleury ( a soft rind cheese with a eggy yokey note ) and OKA ( rather mild for my tastes ) plus many, many others.

Locally here in BC there are several that I like, imitations of European cheeses, but good none the less.

No shortage of wines either. The cheapest bottle would be around 10 or 11 dollars. A primitivo from Italy....also you can find Australian Shiraz for 12 to 13 dollars a bottle.
Of course you can go much, much higher.

A lot of local BC wines, although not cheaper than European and other new world wines, are quite good.
A local shop near me sells nothing but BC wines and they have hundreds to choose from.

BristolUK

I know this will fall on deaf ears but Cracker Barrel's Reserve cheddar is very good. Black label, 250g and $6.49 or $6.99 but often on sale for $2 less.Don't be fooled by the aged one year marking which doesn't sound too promising. Try it with an open mind.It's stronger than the Colliers stuff that people got excited about.Hopefully the picture will come out when the latest glitches are fixed.Or try it this way.http://www.instabuggy.com/UserFiles/...ar-190x190.jpg

ann m

The "Coastal" cheddar from Costco is my favourite regular cheese. Has a bit of a bite and a crumble, versus bland, bendy rubber cheese available everywhere.

Stinkypup

Saltspring Island goat cheeses are amazing! A good range though distribution is probably limited, sadly like the output of the Island brewery!they make a great combination on crackers with Saltspring Golden Ale as an accompaniment ..

BristolUK

I had a Cows (seriously lol) cheese from Sobeys that was very tasty. Then the next time it was rubbish.

not2old

When in doubt its good to have the good Canadian cheddar, whether its the selection from Cracker Barrel or store brand.

For the price, there isn't too much difference between store brand & Cracker Barrel - a buck here, a buck there saving all add's up

BristolUK

Just to emphasise, the Cracker Barrel RESERVE is different to the other Cracker Barrel/store brand equivalents. It's even in a different part of the store. Here, anyway. It depends on the store brand.PC extra old is as acceptable as Cracker Barrel's extra old. Compliments much less so. I'm not even sure they do an extra old version anymore. The Co-op's Gold label is poor too.

Zooper

The best cheesemakers don't cheat. I avoid any cheese that lists
" modified milk " as an ingredient.

BristolUK

Almost a year up...better resurrect this thread before it does a Logan's Run and dies.

Pizzawheel

You put this in your calendar didn't you...

Paul_Shepherd

Yes...unebelieveable isnt it! So it seems the same occurs in Oz aswell as the great white north.

My friends here in Canada didnt believe i could buy Canadian cheddar considerably cheaper in the UK than where it is actually produced.

So I brought a block back "Sainsburys Mature Canadian Cheddar" then in small print on the back. Prouduced for Sainsburys UK in Campbellford, Ontario, Canada. which is a few kilometers down the road from where i live in Peterborough. They were astounded.......and dismayed.

Paul_Shepherd

Im a cheesie....and i have to agree with Bristol, this is decent Cheese for the price.

viajero

Living in France I am spoiled for cheese, however half the varieties taste vaguely like camembert, which I hate.

The Roqueforts and other blue cheese varieties however - heaven.

Most large big city supermarkets in Canada will have a decent cheese selection but VERY pricey. St. Lawrence Market is, as mentioned, the go-to place for cheese-lovers in the GTA.

MillieF

My dog has just pulled his tendon, so I have been doing exactly that

I buy Brie and Camembert and then pop them in my unfinished basement for ten days or so and it improves the flavor quite a lot.

I have heard that the cheese in QC is much better and really look forward to visiting to find out.

Lychee

Do specialty cheese shops not exist elsewhere in Canada?

For those in Vancouver, these are good:

Benton Brother's: Benton Brothers Fine Cheese
La Grotta Del Formaggio:http://www.lgdf.ca/
Les Amis Du Fromage: les amis du FROMAGE – Vancouvers Best Cheese Shop
Urban Fare Yaletown (a supermarket, but a nice cheese selection): Urban Fare | home

On Salt Spring Island, Moonstruck Cheese is delicious: http://www.moonstruckcheese.com/n_available.php
At the Vancouver Farmers Market, the Farm House Cheese company from Agassiz is really good: http://www.farmhousecheeses.com/

Otherwise, if one is discerning about cheese, supermarkets are not the place to go. At least that has been my experience in BC. Perhaps part of the problem is applying English style shopping habits in Canada? In my experience, if you're seeking superior products, the national supermarket chains are typically not the places to go here. This goes for cheese, bread, meat, dairy, etc.