Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe now licenced to sell alcohol

Jenn Stacey-Laurin shows a few of the alcoholic drinks now available for purchase at the newly licenced Cheese Shoppe. Also pictured is the new mobile charcuterie cart that was made right before Heritage Weekend and is available to rent.

By Wendy Lamond

Exciting things are happening at the Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe.

When customers pop in to the Cheese shoppe on Queen Street, not only will they be able to buy lunch, cheese, prepared meals and deli meats, but they can now purchase beer, craft beer, ciders, coolers and wine.

“It has been a long process, but we like to think outside the box and keep offering new and fresh ideas,” said co-owner Jenn Stacey-Laurin.

With gift baskets being so popular, the staff often get asked if they can add wine to them, so now the business is able to make that happen. According to Stacey-Laurin, it also fits well with their one-stop shopping experience.

The store is currently in the process of receiving its alcohol inventory and getting the storefront ready to launch. The selection will include some local favourites from Broken Rail Brewery and Cowbell Brewery.

There is also a plan to sell individual bottles of wine with a charcuterie box attached.

The store is legally allowed to sell alcohol between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., so sales will be confined to the Cheese Shoppe’s regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

The store also carries gluten-free items and has over 100 imported and domestic cheeses.

On Saturday Oct. 4, leading up to Thanksgiving, the store is hosting a Sample Fest from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The samples will consist of the most-loved, delicious, comfort-food favourites.

All of it is homemade and will have customers wanting to stock up their freezers.

Some of the items to taste are meat lasagna, mac and cheese, soups, taco dip and pinwheels, pizza and pot pies, breads and buns, and much more.

Stacey-Laurin and co-owner Amie Shackelton are approaching their five-year anniversary on Oct. 8. “I love everything about it,” Stacey-Laurin said of owning the business for the past five years. “We have such an incredible customer base, and I have learnt so much about cheese.”

Visit the Cheese Shoppe’s Facebook page for details on some other big news coming soon.