Grocery Stores
Junction Fromagerie
The Junction Fromagerie is a new addition to the Junction providing quality Canadian artisinal cheese. It's owned by the same people who churn out some of Toronto's best chocolate down the street at Delight.
As the only dedicated cheese shop on this stretch of Dundas West, the Junction Fromagerie was a long time coming. During my recent visit the place was packed and everyone was buying something - except for one lady who couldn't deal with the slow moving line. But don't expect the energy or experience of Global Cheese here. I found it a relatively joyless experience with everyone silently waiting for their turn at the counter.
It was pretty much an all business affair as the lady behind the counter wasn't chatty or talking to anyone, just taking each order, slicing it up, weighing, it, then ringing it through with seemingly as few words as possible.
There isn't much to the place, really. There's an antique hutch on one side of the store with a variety of homemade crostinis and crackers on display, plus a shelf on the other side with a few rolls and breads. The crackers and crostinis all looked tasty so I picked up a bag for a dinner party I was throwing later in the week.
The selection of cheese is quite impressive and I really appreciated how clearly each item was priced and labeled per 100 grams, along with a detailed description of the type and flavour of the cheese. Since the line wasn't moving that quickly, I had some time to read the labels carefully and I decided on three different selections.
My first choice, the "Thunder Oak" Gouda at $4.27/100g was soft, creamy and quite sweet. I've experienced bitter goudas in the past, but this cheese was a good fit for my crostini, or a sandwich.
I also selected the "Bothwell" smoked cheddar at $4.34/100g. This 2-year, heat-treated cow's milk cheddar is naturally smoked with maple and was terrifically fragrant with a nice sharp bite and melted nicely in my mouth.
My last selection was the "Chevre Noir" a black waxed-wrapped goat's milk cheddar at $6.49/100g. This one had quite a complex taste and it likely might not be for everyone's palette, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a bit of a crumble to it and a slight candied aftertaste.
Overall, the Junction Fromagerie delivered in the area that really mattered - the cheese. All three of my selections (plus the crostini) were delicious and a hit at my dinner party.
Writing by James Buttivant. Photos by Dennis Marciniak.
Discussion
28 Comments
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Eric you had a bad experience here, others have had great experiences. When you write in and complain without saying anything nice at all you do in fact do a disservice to this store and the Junction neighbourhood. . If that's your intent, to keep people from coming here to experience this place then you are a total jerk. If you live in or near the JUnction you should be raving about how amazing it is to even have a Gourmet Cheese shop here. I'm not saying you shouldn't mention that the service could have been better, but you certainly don't have to make it the only subject in your comment.
The Junction needs more places like this, and I would encourage everyone to go here. I live in the Junction I am so happy that we have a cheese shop. I can't wait to see what opens next in the neighborhood.
I received subpar service at this store and I voiced my dissatisfaction at the time to the lone employee of the store (who likely just muttered something under her breath after I left). I'm also voicing it here in hopes that the owners read my comment and take it to heart, hopefully improving the one thing that they need to to make this a great store.
I won't rave about a shopping experience that wasn't amazing, as you suggest to "support" my community. I'm not going to support a "Yorkville attitude" in our community. I hope my comment drives change and I will try the store again and support it if I see a shift in attitude.
I think the truly special thing we have in the junction is that "small town" feel. If we support businesses that counteract that we'll be just another "hip" pocket in the city with snooty stores and snooty customers.
I get the feeling it's not your style to speak to the owner, you feel much more important doing this instead. Sad really.
So now I shall do so again, am I to go to the store that when said rude employee is working and demand to speak to the owners? Will I get them on the phone? Will they come down to speak to me? Seems like a lot of effort.
How about instead of spending all my time trying to please you and tell them face to face I post a comment relaying my experience on a very popular Toronto website which is reviewing the store in question? If the owner(s) of this company share the same business prowess as many of the other business owners in the community they are likely to be reading and following reviews and comments on their store in every sort of media (including online) Therefor if they are worthy business owners they will have already read my comment and the comments of others (including the review author) and will make the necessary changes.
Oh and Geoff if you are the owner of the store (because really who else would get so upset about my comment?) the solution is simple, tell your employees to be nice to customers. I know it is an outlandish and radical approach to business but it just might fly.
I think it's also important to point out that this is a review - not an advertisement. A review is informational and intended to highlight the ups and downs of its subject. As a new business, any feedback should be welcomed as a means of overcoming growing pains and establishing a regular clientele; Especially in such a close knit community. I don't think there is anything wrong with anyone expressing their opinions and communicating the details of their experiences whether they are positive or negative. No one has slashed or said anything devastating so it really does seem like Geoff is taking this personally. Actually, the only slashing that has occurred on this sight has been that of Eric's character - a judgment based upon several lines of type and an opinion and NOT a first hand personal experience. WOW!
This was one staff member, they're most likely not even working there anymore.
you continue your banter on here when you really should take it up with the owner, but you won't do that now will you Eric? such a shame.
The store owners need to get their staff in better form and fast, otherwise the store will be gone in 6 months. And while they're at improving customer service, let's hope for another fridge with more cheese. :)
Don't hope for more cheese either, ask them for more cheese!
thx
So you know, I owned a small business for quite some time and I too faced the negative criticism from time to time on the internet, and believe me it was much nastier than my original constructive comment. As a business owner who understood the current business world and how important your online reputation was to your real world success I constantly tracked what people were saying about business online. But you know what I did? Instead of forming a fake alias and weakly trying to defend my business while claiming no stake in it I instead contacted though who complained about my company and sought to resolve their grievance with my business as best I could. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. When it did work though I gained very customers who were even more loyal to me because of how far I had gone to make them happy.
It is called good business Geoff. If you are the business owner in this case or are somehow very closely tied to it let me make a suggestion:
When someone gives you constructive non-slanderous criticism of your business instead of jumping on them and telling them they are a "jerk" or that they didn't try hard enough to convey their displeasure with their shopping experience directly to the owners seek to resolve the situation. If you had merely said to me, "Hey really sorry you had a bad experience, I'm taking steps to resolve that and I'd really appreciate if you gave us another shot," I'd be back in the store this weekend.
Instead you and your comments have convinced me this place isn't worth another shot. I'll continue to get my cheeses from the Thin Blue Line in Roncesvalles and further to that I'll tell all of my friends and family to do the same.
Good luck with the business though, I'm sure with your attitude it will flourish.
Please stop talking to me like this is my store, it's not.
What are you friends with Eric? Don't get so upset.
Geez. Why even deny it at this point!
LOL!
Freakin' potato head.
You are CLEARLY an angry Cheese store owner.
Do you specialize in Old Nippy?
My name is Jeff Brown and I am the co-owner of Delight and the Junction Fromagerie. We are very proud to serve some of what we think is the very best Canadian artisinal cheese in our new shop in the Junction. Of course we are very disappointed to hear that some people have received poor service at our shop and we will do everything within our power to correct it.
We greatly appreciate your business and your feed back.
Should you have any other specific concerns please contact us at info@junctionfromagerie.com.
Sincerely,
Jeff Brown
My name is Jeff Brown and I am the co-owner of Delight and the Junction Fromagerie. We are very proud to serve some of what we think is the very best Canadian artisinal cheese in our new shop in the Junction. Of course we are very disappointed to hear that some people have received poor service at our shop and we will do everything within our power to correct it.
We greatly appreciate your business and your feed back.
Should you have any other specific concerns please contact us at info@junctionfromagerie.com.
Sincerely,
Jeff Brown
My name is Jeff Brown and I am the co-owner of Delight and the Junction Fromagerie. We are very proud to serve some of what we think is the very best Canadian artisinal cheese in our new shop in the Junction. Of course we are very disappointed to hear that some people have received poor service at our shop and we will do everything within our power to correct it.
We greatly appreciate your business and your feed back.
Should you have any other specific concerns please contact us at info@junctionfromagerie.com.
Sincerely,
Jeff Brown
They also have fresh churned butter, local honeys (some infused in-house!)and drool-worthy artisan breads.
Also: it's important to note that all of the cheeses are Canadian. SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS!
Yum!
Anyway, none of this is important, I'm happy to know more about the shop, and not to take 'sides,' but I can take the article for what it is - this store is all about location! Right? The Junction, that's a great place, perfect demographic to tap into.
Maybe the young lady behind the counter was tired, or has many snooty turophiles to contend with, who knows. Sometimes it's a tough day.
I've just come across this post now since I recently moved closer to the Junction and now frequent the 'strip' more often.
I agree wholeheartedly with Karis - I'm just glad to know that this store exists so close to me! The Junction is a great 'hood and I too like to support local businesses as much as possible.
While some of the comments are helpful many are just useless and I find it both hilarious and sad that some people get so fired up and personal with their opinions. I think everyone agrees that poor customer service is a huge turn off and I trust that the owner has now rectified the situation.
In any case, I'll let you know after my first visit! I'm specifically looking for goat cheese cheddar...