Cheesyplace Cheese of the Month Club

What's in the box: Three hand-picked specialty cheeses, one to three gourmet food items, and a fact sheet with pairing notes and cheese information.

Cheesyplace is a Toronto cheese shop with a store in Etobicoke, and its Cheese of the Month Club ships across Canada. Be aware that this is a tasting club, not a cheese making kit. You get finished cheeses to eat, not cultures or equipment. Each month a member receives three hand-picked specialty cheeses, one to three gourmet food items, and a fact sheet with pairing notes. The shop says it skips basic Cheddar and Swiss, so it should suit people who already know their way around a cheese counter. Boxes ship in insulated packaging with heavy-duty ice packs, which makes sense for a perishable product travelling long distances. The club is aimed mainly at gift buyers, and the shop says you can cancel at any time with no questions asked. That makes it less risky to try. On the downside, the main page does not list pricing, plan lengths or prepay options, so you will have to look further before you buy. You also cannot choose your cheeses, because the shop picks them. If you want to learn to make cheese yourself, look elsewhere. If you want a steady supply of interesting cheese from an established retailer, this is a solid choice.