Time, the years, the seasons, the dreaming and the hopes which throb with life even under the ice and snow. There is an order to all things, a pressure of progression, and the winds themselves will die into nothingness and the tides wither away before the hopes shall have ended, the aspirations frozen forever. – Hal Borland

Dear Customers,

The holidays are over and a new year is before us. We expect it to be an exciting one as we embark on new renovation plans that we hope will help us better serve you, our wonderful customers.

Herma’s Renovation Plans (in her own words)

Harry and I are excited to announce major changes to our store. We are creating plans for renovations that we expect will be completed by March.

Biggest news? Our Cheese Boutique and Studio are trading places!

 The Cheese Department will be moved into my Studio and will now be considered the permanent location of the Cheese Boutique. Janis, Cathy, and Margaret look forward to utilizing this new space with new cheeses and ideas for entertaining. With the use of a stove they will be able to develop some interesting culinary creations that will serve as examples of how to best utilize their cheese. Lovely charcuterie may also be found here – ready to be sliced to your liking.

I am most excited about my Studio which will be expanded – beginning with the Cheese Department’s current location and continuing to the back of the building. I am so excited to share recipes, entertaining ideas, and hosting upcoming events in this roomier, more open space.

Our kitchen tools and gadgets will also have their very own section and will extend into the area that now  houses our gift wrap. 

Of course, last but not least, Gordon and I look forward to having a room of our very own in which to  artfully wrap your gifts.

We are excited about the changes and can’t wait to share this new space with you. – Herma

 Cheese Specials

 This weekend we will be offering a special on Gorgonzola and Tete de Moine. Herma and the cheese department look forward to preparing something special with these cheeses including maybe a delicious Morel Ragout using Gorgonzola. The following are descriptions of these cheeses and what makes them special.

• Gorgonzola has been created since as early as the 11th century in the town of Gorgonzola, Milan and can still be found there and in other parts of northern Italy. It is crumbly and soft with nutty aroma and a greenish-blue marbling. It is served with wines like Bordeaux, Zinfandel, and Sauternes.

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• Tête de Moine (“Monk’s Head”) has been produced for eight centuries first by monks in the abbey of Bellelay in Switzerland. Tete de Moine is a semi-hard cheese with a silky body that easily melts in your mouth. The cheese develops its scented flavours effectively only when it is scraped. The best way to scrape Tete de Moine is in paper-thin rosettes, shaved off the wheel of cheese by a tool called a girolle. Tete de Moine is best accompanied by crisp white wines such as Pinot Grigio.

 Winter Hours

Closed Mondays till March 14th. All other days open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.

 Please check our phone message (905-885-9250) or facebook to find out if open on bad weather days.

Thanks to all who participated in our Fare Share Food Bank Fundraiser.

Congrats to Phil Thompson for being the winning bidder of our special dinner and to Jesse Wahl for being the winning bidder of our highly prized Porkie.

From all of us at Herma’s, we wish you good health and prosperity for the year to come.

Best wishes,

Meredith Ender

Communications Coordinator

Herma’s Fine Foods and Gifts