The Christmas Edition
- lalibertecheese7
- Nov 20
- 5 min read
We are 5 weeks out from Christmas 2025 as we stumble through a wet and windy November. This will be our last newsletter for 2025, unless I get to cheese ponderings over the holidays, but I feel like I will be more inclined to put my feet up with a glass of bubbly and some soft sheep cheese should I find a moment to relax between the hustle and bustle.
The chatter online and the feeling in the air is that this Christmas is going to be a bit different for many people. Politics, international relations and economic uncertainty mean that many of you are going to be shopping closer to home and keeping an eye on where things are sourced from. I hope that this sentiment results in some steady traffic to the lovely shops in the downtown Courtenay district and throughout the Comox Valley.
We are working hard to create some old Christmas magic in our little shop. We have been receiving beautiful, specialty stock from Europe over the past couple of weeks with more arriving each day. Our cheese selection will be the biggest it has ever been, with our first large shipment arriving next week, just in time for December. The Truffle Brie will be plentiful, the Manchego towers high, and the Délice de Bourgogne endless.
Sweet Treats
Our nougat selection has grown this year. Along with the favourite French nougat from last year, we also have the beautiful and slightly sweeter Italian variety in multiple flavours; Chocolate, Amaretto, Sour Cherry and Pistachio.
French Caramels D'Isigny are in. These are my absolute favourite. Made with French butter, they are a bit hard when you first pop them in your mouth. And at first you might be disappointed. But once they warm up, they turn into chewy, stick to your teeth deliciousness. We have both the caramel and the fondant type for those with more delicate teeth.
The candied fruit from Leonard Parli in France is incredible. Beautifully decorative, these creations are the result of fruit being slowly candied over several weeks. The process involves repeatedly soaking the the fruit in sugar syrup, with the syrup concentration being increased overtime, which replaces the fruits natural water content with sugar. The fruit is then dried and glazed, which locks in the sweetness. Beautiful to look at, they are also delicious without being overwhelmingly sweet. I haven't tried them all, but I can attest to the fig, the lemon and the pear being divine! Package them as a gift, or treat yourself to something truly special.
Gifting
As many of you know, we are more than just a cheese shop. We have been slowly adding to our selection of high-end linens from Europe and South Africa, our unique tableware and of course the endless selection of tasty treats, olive oils and spreads.
The beautiful delicacy of the Makery Collection necklaces from Johannesburg and the intricate, stunning pieces from Marigold Jewelry in Zimbabwe, make thoughtful gifts for those that love unique pieces.
Our small line of Lavender & Black products from Salt Spring Island, brings the soothing, summer scent of lavender. A great addition to a basket for a special someone or a lovely item to pop into a stocking.
We love Laguiole & Opinel knives and offer a range in value. Originating in France, these hand-crafted knives are both beautiful and functional. While Laguiole are the stars of the kitchen and table, Opinel is the travel knife of choice. No foodie should be without one! Whether it's in your purse with your pocket salt, or in the glove compartment of your car, you'll always be prepared for that short-notice picnic.
Gift Boxes & Baskets
Our gift boxes and baskets are available to order at any time, but we really shine at Christmas, when our shelves are overflowing with gourmet foods, sweet treats and beautiful things, Whether you want to put together a personal selection of items or have us create a curated gift box on your behalf, our goal will always be to help you give a gift that is both a pleasure to open and a pleasure to enjoy. Whether the recipient loves high-end gourmet, where only the best will do, or a sweet tooth that craves unique treats, we can put together something just for them.
Our flagship Christmas Cheese Box is back! We put together the perfect cheese selection, add some gourmet crackers and a sweet treat to round out the perfect gift for the cheese lover in your life. Bring it as a host/hostess gift, send it as a gift to a loved one, or choose it as surprise to open on Christmas Eve as you sit with your friends and family. These boxes are scalable and can be customized to fit your preferences.
Our corporate gift box program is in full swing. If you are one of those businesses that like to say Thank You to your clients or your staff with gift boxes or gift baskets, we'd love to be part of that. We strive to create a selection of items that are both practical, delicious and unique. Something that makes them pause as they look at each new item. Little things that add a bit of "extra" to their everyday meals, but that won't sit in the cupboard until next Springs pantry clear out.
Our extensive stock means we can satisfy small or large orders, customizing each individual box, or creating a corporate flagship box so you know each recipient received the same, beautiful, curated selection.
We continue to add to our options for boards. Our standard cheese and charcuterie platters have been joined by our new West Coast Smoked Salmon Platter. Our house-made mini bagels and smoked salmon paté, Pacific Sockeye lox, and an assortment of toppings and garnishes all come together for an excellent, local brunch box.
We will have limited space (literally) for charcuterie platters over the month of December, so we encourage you to pre-order sooner rather than later. All orders after December 14th will require a 48 hour notice and will be dependent on space availability.
Christmas Pre-Orders
Our Christmas Pre-order list for Christmas cheese & charcuterie items will be continue to be updated as we receive shipments at the end of November and mid-December. We encourage you to pre-order your cheese and charcuterie items where you can, particularly things like sliced raclette, or a kg of porchetta! This will help you to avoid the line-ups and to ensure that you receive the products that you want, while also ensuring that we can help as many customers as possible during the busy season.
Christmas Deliveries
We offer delivery and shipping for all your orders whether you are local to the Comox Valley, live in Port Hardy or up in Edmonton. We ship overnight with Purolator & Fedex and our local delivery is done by Kyte Delivery. We will be stopping our OFF Vancouver Island shipping December 1st for all perishables (cheese, butter etc). The higher volume of shipments means that even overnight shipping isn't guaranteed and we want to avoid any cheese heartbreak over a shipment that got stuck in the sorting facility for too long.
We will continue to offer shipping of our non-perishable goods across Canada throughout December.
Vancouver Island perishables will be delivered throughout December, where capacity (both ours and the shippers) exist.
Local, Comox Valley deliveries will continue until December 24th @ 2pm (or until we hit capacity with Kyte Delivery).
New Hours & Holiday Hours
We have added both Tuesday and Sunday to our regular schedule.
Our current hours are:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday-Thursday: 10:30am-5pm
Friday: 10:30am-6pm
Saturday: 10am (or earlier)-5pm
Sunday:11am-4pm
From December 15th onward our Holiday hours will be as follows:
Monday-Friday: 10:00-6pm
Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 10am-5pm
Monday December 23rd: 9:30-7pm
Tuesday December 24th: 9:30-7pm
Wednesday December 24th: 9:30-2pm
December 25/26th: CLOSED
Saturday December 27: 10am-5pm
Sunday December 28: 11am-4pm
Monday 29: 10:30am-5pm
Tuesday 30/Wednesday 31: 1030am-5pm
Thursday Jan 1: CLOSED
Friday January 2: Back to our Regular Tuesday-Sunday Hours
Wishing you all an amazing holiday season! We look forward to seeing you in the shop over the next month.
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