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Great ‘Grate’ cheese comes to Kelowna

New cheesery opens in South Pandosy corridor
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Matt Maclaren serves up a cheese and wine pairing at Grate Cheesery. (Jen Zielinski - Black Press Media)

A Vernon couple has wedged their way into the Kelowna market to open up a cheesery in the South Pandosy corridor.

Matt and Brittany Maclaren, opened The Wedge cheese shop in Vernon in 2019, working for about three years before deciding to pick up and move south to try something different.

“We love cheese and are passionate about cheese and everything to do with cheese,” explained Matt.

“We went to cheese festivals every year when we lived in Calgary, and then Britt said, ‘Let’s do a cheese shop,’ and I said, ‘Sure, but let’s do some research.’”

The couple moved to the Okanagan to be closer to Brittany’s parents and that is when the cheese dream took off.

From the Wedge in Vernon to Grate Cheese located in the up-and-coming West Avenue of Kelowna, the couple came south to create their own spot which would be licensed and draw a different crowd of those interested in wine as well as cheese.

Grate Cheese opened in 2021 and while it was mid-pandemic, the business didn’t miss a beat. The cheesery saw some inconstancy with customers at the start but since then there has been a steady stream of those hungry for nibbles.

Matt said the location is perfect as the Pandosy area gives a small-town vibe with many of the residents and businesses knowing each other.

Grate Cheesery offers anywhere between 60 to 80 different cheeses, which are a mix of Canadian and European. The cheesery offers flights of cheese paired with wine, platters to go or stay in, sandwiches, paninis, and gelato, and on Fridays and Saturdays, a special hors d’oeuvres menu is served after 5 p.m.

“I like all types of cheese, typically I like cheddars and sharp cheese and blue cheese,” said Matt. “I also finished my level one WSET, so that I could be more knowledgeable in wine because really nothing goes better than wine and cheese.”

Open six days a week from Tuesday to Saturday, Grate Cheesery can be found at 468 West Ave.

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@Jen_zee
jen.zielinski@bpdigital.ca

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Jen Zielinski

About the Author: Jen Zielinski

Graduated from the broadcast journalism program at BCIT. Also holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science and sociology from Thompson Rivers University.
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