If there was ever a food pairing that elevates each other in all the right ways, it’s cheese and preserves. Which makes Cheese Lover’s Day the ideal moment to shine a light not just on our café menu, but on our beloved volunteer-powered Corner Store Network Preserves Kitchen.
Because here’s the thing: we love cheese (it’s in nearly everything delicious we serve: toasties, focaccia, specials you weren’t expecting). But what really propels cheese to greatness is what you put alongside it. And that’s where our preserves come in.
When rescued fruit meets good cheese
Every jar that leaves our kitchen is made from produce rescued destined for landfill, from imperfect apples, surplus figs, to citrus that farmers couldn’t sell. Our volunteers chop, stir, preserve and transform this fruit into something delicious with a second life.
And those preserves?
They were practically designed to sit next to cheese.
Think:
• Fig + pear jam with a crumbly blue
• Feijoa jelly with aged cheddar
• Citrus marmalade with goat’s cheese on focaccia
• Rhubarb and apple compote warmed and drizzled over baked brie (trust us on this one)
Suddenly, it’s not just a cheeseboard. It’s a story of community, sustainability, and food that’s been saved and celebrated.
A cheeseboard with heart.
There’s something quietly beautiful about pairing rescued-produce preserves with your favourite cheese. It turns snacking into impact. It transforms “just a tasting plate” into a small act of care: for the land, for farmers, for volunteers, and for flavour.
And the best part?
You get to taste that impact every time you spread a chutney on your cracker.
Celebrating the day, CSN-style
So this Cheese Lover’s Day, build a board that means something.
Pick cheeses you love. Add a few crackers. Try a CSN jar or two and let your creativity do the rest. Eat well and share generously.
By: Yasha Barretto
Leave a comment