Shop > Our Producers > Little Qualicum Cheeseworks
Little Qualicum Cheeseworks was established in 2001 by Clarke and Nancy Gourlay. After a career in humanitarian aid and development, the Gourlays, including their three young sons, moved to Vancouver Island to be close to family and explore their dream of making Swiss-style artisan cheese. On June 29, 2019 Clarke Gourlay died in a mountaineering accident in Strathcona Park. His immense vision and passion were largely to be credited for the success of Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and his loss left a significant hole in the business. In early 2021, Nancy made the decision to retire, and in the summer of 2021 Albert Gorter and Chelsea Enns moved on-site and began training with the Gourlay family.
Albert Gorter grew up on a 600-acre dairy farm near Otterburne, Manitoba. He studied animal science at Lakeland College and worked in other agricultural areas before returning to his family farm where he and his partner Chelsea Enns took over management. Along with a passion for excellence in dairy farming, Albert and Chelsea developed a strong interest in the processing side of the dairy industry and even established their own yogurt brand which they operated for a year. When the time came to pursue the next stage of their vision, they made the decision to bring their experience, energy and passion to Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and Morningstar Farm on Vancouver Island. Albert is now the farm manager and Chelsea oversees the cheesemaking and tourism operations. Their two-year-old son Rory is enjoying island life and so is farm dog, Emma.
Over the years of change and growth, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks continues to be a family business and remains committed and passionate about quality local food, sustainable agriculture, animal welfare, and providing a fun, educational, and delicious experience to all visitors of the farm and customers of their cheese across British Columbia.
Thank you for checking out our products! Below is a list of products we carry - typically you will see "featured products" right away that we have on special, and then a category tree on the side to browse specific products. If you're not logged in yet, clicking "add to order" will cause you to be redirected to a login screen - we require that you setup a customer profile before you can actually order. Once you've setup a customer profile, you can easily add items to either your current week order or your "recurring items" order using the delivery options dropdown - here is a quick overview:
Please take the time to read this, it will make your ordering experience more fun!
- Choosing "one time only" tells the system a couple of things:
- If you already have an order generated for the current week (based on your recurring order) then choosing this option will tell the system you'd like the product this week. (of course, this assumes your delivery date hasn't passed already, and that your cut-off time for order changes hasn't passed already)
How do you tell if you have a current order for this week? When you click view/edit my order tab, you will see the products and table rows either have a white background (current week order) or a green background (recurring order items) - or it will say you have no order at all. The other way to easily tell is the header in the products listing on your order page will either say "Current order for 10/12/08" or it will say "Recurring order".
- If your delivery date has already passed this week, or your cut-off time for editing orders has passed, then choosing this option will add the item to your recurring order. The item will show up on your next week order, and then be dropped automatically from the recurring items you'd like to receive.
- If you already have an order generated for the current week (based on your recurring order) then choosing this option will tell the system you'd like the product this week. (of course, this assumes your delivery date hasn't passed already, and that your cut-off time for order changes hasn't passed already)
- Choosing "every week" tells the system:
- If you already have a current week order, that you'd like to add it to both the current week, and the recurring order items so that you continue to receive the product each week.
- If you do not have a current week order, or your order date or cut-off time has already passed, it simply adds it to your recurring order to be generated the next week, and will remain in your recurring order each week until you take it out.
- Choosing "every other week odd" or even (the current week is highlighted), will tell the system:
- If you already have a current week order, that you'd like to add it to both the current week, and the recurring order items so that you continue to receive the product on the week of your choosing.
- If you do not have a current week order, or your order date or cut-off time has already passed, it simply adds it to your recurring order to be generated the next week (depending on if next week is odd or even of course), and will remain in your recurring order until you take it out.
- Choosing "once per month" option will tell the system:
- If you already have a current week order, that you'd like to add it to both the current week, and the recurring order items so that you continue to receive the product once per month (on the first delivery of each month you will receive the product).
- If you do not have a current week order, or your order date or cut-off time has already passed, it simply adds it to your recurring order to be generated the next week (depending on if next week is the first order for you of the month), and will remain in your recurring order until you take it out.
When you click "add to order" you will get a confirmation that the item was added to your order - you can view the order summary at any time by clicking the "view/edit" order tab. Happy ordering!
Shop > Our Producers > Little Qualicum Cheeseworks
Little Qualicum Cheeseworks was established in 2001 by Clarke and Nancy Gourlay. After a career in humanitarian aid and development, the Gourlays, including their three young sons, moved to Vancouver Island to be close to family and explore their dream of making Swiss-style artisan cheese. On June 29, 2019 Clarke Gourlay died in a mountaineering accident in Strathcona Park. His immense vision and passion were largely to be credited for the success of Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and his loss left a significant hole in the business. In early 2021, Nancy made the decision to retire, and in the summer of 2021 Albert Gorter and Chelsea Enns moved on-site and began training with the Gourlay family.
Albert Gorter grew up on a 600-acre dairy farm near Otterburne, Manitoba. He studied animal science at Lakeland College and worked in other agricultural areas before returning to his family farm where he and his partner Chelsea Enns took over management. Along with a passion for excellence in dairy farming, Albert and Chelsea developed a strong interest in the processing side of the dairy industry and even established their own yogurt brand which they operated for a year. When the time came to pursue the next stage of their vision, they made the decision to bring their experience, energy and passion to Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and Morningstar Farm on Vancouver Island. Albert is now the farm manager and Chelsea oversees the cheesemaking and tourism operations. Their two-year-old son Rory is enjoying island life and so is farm dog, Emma.
Over the years of change and growth, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks continues to be a family business and remains committed and passionate about quality local food, sustainable agriculture, animal welfare, and providing a fun, educational, and delicious experience to all visitors of the farm and customers of their cheese across British Columbia.

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks
Little Qualicum Cheeseworks was established in 2001 by Clarke and Nancy Gourlay. After a career in humanitarian aid and development, the Gourlays, including their three young sons, moved to Vancouver Island to be close to family and explore their dream of making Swiss-style artisan cheese. On June 29, 2019 Clarke Gourlay died in a mountaineering accident in Strathcona Park. His immense vision and passion were largely to be credited for the success of Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and his loss left a significant hole in the business. In early 2021, Nancy made the decision to retire, and in the summer of 2021 Albert Gorter and Chelsea Enns moved on-site and began training with the Gourlay family.Albert Gorter grew up on a 600-acre dairy farm near Otterburne, Manitoba. He studied animal science at Lakeland College and worked in other agricultural areas before returning to his family farm where he and his partner Chelsea Enns took over management. Along with a passion for excellence in dairy farming, Albert and Chelsea developed a strong interest in the processing side of the dairy industry and even established their own yogurt brand which they operated for a year. When the time came to pursue the next stage of their vision, they made the decision to bring their experience, energy and passion to Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and Morningstar Farm on Vancouver Island. Albert is now the farm manager and Chelsea oversees the cheesemaking and tourism operations. Their two-year-old son Rory is enjoying island life and so is farm dog, Emma.
Over the years of change and growth, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks continues to be a family business and remains committed and passionate about quality local food, sustainable agriculture, animal welfare, and providing a fun, educational, and delicious experience to all visitors of the farm and customers of their cheese across British Columbia.
IMPORTANT!
We're sorry, this product is only available for the current week and it appears you are either past the cut-off time or have already received your delivery.
A firm, crumbly blue with a sweet softness. The tangy bite mellows on the tongue to a buttery blue finish. Pairs especially well with crisp fruit or salted almonds.
IMPORTANT!
We're sorry, this product is only available for the current week and it appears you are either past the cut-off time or have already received your delivery.
A Canadian tradition! Lightly salted and squeaky, curds are made fresh and are an excellent snack. Try breading & air-frying them like mozzarella sticks.
200g bag.
IMPORTANT!
We're sorry, this product is only available for the current week and it appears you are either past the cut-off time or have already received your delivery.
Fresh spreadable whole milk cheese, flavoured with garlic and herbs. Spread on crostini and bagels, or stir into scrambled eggs or cooked pasta.
250g. 16% butterfat.
IMPORTANT!
We're sorry, this product is only available for the current week and it appears you are either past the cut-off time or have already received your delivery.
Fresh, tangy, spreadable whole milk cheese.
Perfect on your morning bagel, spread on toast and drizzle with honey and sea salt, enjoy on crackers with pepper jelly, or fold into cheesecake.
250g. 16% butterfat.
IMPORTANT!
We're sorry, this product is only available for the current week and it appears you are either past the cut-off time or have already received your delivery.
Flourishes of lemon, pepper, and garlic with feta and olive oil make this zesty spreadable unforgettable.
Spread on crostini and bagels, smear on bread and broil it, scoop up with raw veggies, or stir into scrambled eggs or cooked pasta.
250g.
IMPORTANT!
We're sorry, this product is only available for the current week and it appears you are either past the cut-off time or have already received your delivery.
The creamy texture and the velvety white rind with mushroom overtones pairs beautifully with fresh fruit or spicy preserves.
Between 190-210g.
IMPORTANT!
We're sorry, this product is only available for the current week and it appears you are either past the cut-off time or have already received your delivery.
IMPORTANT!
We're sorry, this product is only available for the current week and it appears you are either past the cut-off time or have already received your delivery.
Creamy, rich and savoury, this crowd favourite transforms a cracker or sandwich into a gourmet event. Flavoured with garlic, onion, and paprika, it tastes as good as it looks.
IMPORTANT!
We're sorry, this product is only available for the current week and it appears you are either past the cut-off time or have already received your delivery.
Hand-packed in oil, garlic, sundried tomatoes, and herbs, this marinated feta is bursting with flavour. Perfect in Greek salad, or try it baked on a flatbread.