No Place Like TOMME

“There’s nowhere to get really good cheese!”

That’s exactly how TOMME founder Andrew Wheeler felt when he moved back to the quaint downtown area of Guelph, a small city in southwestern Ontario.

Recognizing this need, he did something about it. Not just for himself but for cheese lovers across the province and country.

A Food Adventure

Andrew was feeling restless and looking for an opportunity to re-invent his career in 2017. (How much of a middle-aged cliché is that?)

That’s when his wife Kim Wheeler challenged him, “If you could do anything, what would it be?”

Drawing on a lifelong passion for food, a love of evangelistically sharing this love with friends, and the fact there were no cheese shops for miles, Andrew decided creating an exciting, community-minded cheese shop was the answer.

Andrew Wheeler from TOMME Cheese Shop at a wine and cheese event. He is holding a glass of red wine and an orange wedge of Mimolette cheese.

We love sharing our passion for great food! Here, Andrew's at an event sharing about his personal favourite cheese, two-year-old Mimolette from France.

“People really really love cheese. I couldn’t believe there were no convenient options to find and indulge in exceptional cheese!” Andrew thought.

TOMME was born out of a desire to solve this problem with the promise of warm, unpretentious guidance into the exciting world of cheese. Enjoying great food should be a journey available to all.

The shop doors opened in June 2018.

Andrew and Kim Wheeler, owners for TOMME Cheese Shop.

Andrew and Kim founded TOMME Cheese Shop in 2018 to give everyone access to the world's best-tasting cheese.

A Bigger Vision

It didn’t take long before eager customers were driving in from surrounding cities. Orders started coming in from across Ontario and other provinces.

We soon realized it wasn’t just our own town that was craving access to great cheese, it was the whole country!

It was an epiphany.

“Everyone should be able to experience great cheese. It’s shouldn’t matter where they live."

“Everyone should be able to experience great cheese. It’s shouldn’t matter where they live,” says Andrew. TOMME is now one of the province’s premier cheese shops. We offer you an exciting variety of cheese, wine, charcuterie, specialty foods, and gifts, both in-store and online.

We’ve found an amazing community of cheese lovers here in Guelph and across Canada. We’ve shipped cheese all across the country—from Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador to Montreal to Vernon, B.C.!

A Great Experience

We now make it simple for anyone in Canada to buy really good cheese and lots of products to go with it.

We’ll carefully pack and deliver everything to your home. Then you simply get to indulge!

You’ll love shopping with us. Simply explore & order from our selection of the world’s best tasting cheeses. We’ll carefully pack and deliver everything to your home. Then you simply get to indulge!

About That Name

Tomme is a French word for a small wheel of Alpine cheese.

When Andrew was taking cheese and culinary arts courses at George Brown College in Toronto, he inexplicably decided this word would be a great name for a cheese shop.

He went with the slightly anglicized pronunciation of the word which rhymes with “home.” We tell people there’s an easy way to remember it: “There’s no place like TOMME.”

Looking Forward

Nothing makes us happier than delighting our customers with exciting experiences that satisfy their deepest cravings for adventure and incredible flavour.

A photo of TOMME Cheese Shop's future home at 6 Carden Street in Guelph, Ontario.

A mid-renovation preview of TOMME Cheese Shop's future home at 6 Carden St.

We’re also excited to start the next chapter of TOMME—we’ll soon be moving a few doors down the street into a beautifully renovated space at the corner of Carden St. and Wilson St. This means a bigger space to invite our local community on many more cheese adventures.

Come visit us anytime!!

 


8 comments


  • Heather Finch

    I was so happy to read this blog post about Tomme’s story, Andrew! It is definitely one worth sharing. I have no doubt that the leap of courage you and Kim took to start something based on your passion, will inspire others!

    Tomme will always have a huge fan in Oakville. Congrats on the new move!


  • Kimi

    I just love reading the story behind your start of TOMME. I need to make more of an effort to get down there more often!!
    Love you guys and what you’re doing!! All the best in your new location too!!


  • Heather Taylor

    Nobody is happier than me that you decided to get into cheese!!!!!!!! Wishing you continued success!!!


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