Ontario’s Oxford County, including the city of Woodstock and towns like Tilsonburg, is becoming a destination, as evidenced by the area’s success at this year’s Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence.
Much of the award attention went to the county’s Big Cheese Days, which was deemed the Culinary Tourism Event of the Year. The monthlong event has taken place since 2016, and took the form of a self-guided tour with 25 stops throughout Oxford County that highlighted the diversity and importance of the region’s cheese production. The event included businesses like Gunn’s Hill and Habitual Chocolate, as well as cultural institutions like the Norwich Museum and the Ingersol Cheese Museum. Over 6,000 people took part in 2018. Tourism Oxford also took home the Sustainable Tourism Award.
Ottercreek Woodworks, an Oxford County business who was one of the initial participants in Big Cheese Days, also received the Culinary Tourism Experience Award. The restaurant promises a “tree-to-table” experience in which visitors walk through the force and learn about local wilderness before creating a charcuterie board and sampling regional food.
With the rise of “foodie culture”, culinary tourism is becoming an increasingly large business, powered by brochure printing, social media, flyer printing and word of mouth. The awards are sure to bring even more attention to Woodstock and Oxford County’s tourist possibilities.
Big Cheese Days will return in May 2020, hoping to be bigger than ever.
