This Ohio Cheese Barn Is Packed With So Many Treats You’ll Want To Bring An Extra Shopping Bag
Your deli sandwich comes served on an upside-down Frisbee, and you get to keep it.
That alone tells you this family business has a sense of humor. I like a lunch that doubles as a souvenir.
The cheese counter holds around 120 varieties, and sampling before buying is part of the plan. Apple Pie Cheddar and Lemon Drop Wensleydale sit alongside imports from Ireland and Italy.
Good luck tasting just one.
Next door, a separate candy shop makes enormous amounts of homemade fudge and chocolates. The caramel and maple creams come from Grandma’s secret recipes.
That is a lot of family history packed into chocolate.
This Ohio stop started in a converted barn back in 1978. It has since grown into a small cluster of barn-style buildings filled with food.
For me, that sounds like a strong reason to clear out some trunk space first.
A Family Barn Became The Most Delicious Pit Stop On The Highway
Grandpa’s Cheesebarn & Sweeties Chocolates began in 1978, when a family turned an old barn on farmland into a cheese store.
Dick and Vera Baum, known as Grandpa and Grandma, started it with daughter Ronda and her husband, Richard Poorbaugh.
The cheese roots run even deeper than that. In the early 1900s, Vera’s father opened Yarman’s Cheese House in West Salem, Ohio.
He reportedly traded a portable RCA radio for his first wheel of Ohio Swiss.
That might be the best trade in Ohio history. It kicked off a family love of cheese and smoked meats that is still going strong.
Vera and Dick later ran a store called Wonderland of Food before joining the barn full-time in 1991.
Today the business remains family-owned and operated. New generations continue the traditions that Grandpa and Grandma helped establish.
Grandpa’s name still sits right on the sign.
Knowing the backstory makes every sample feel a little more personal. You’re not just shopping at a roadside store.
You’re tasting a recipe book that has been growing for over a century, one wheel and one fudge batch at a time.
Free Cheese Samples Will Test Your Willpower Fast
Around 120 cheeses fill the cases here, and some counts climb even higher. Better yet, you’re encouraged to taste before you commit.
That’s a dangerous policy for anyone who came in for just one block.
The flavored options get wonderfully strange. Apple Pie Cheddar, Pumpkin Spice Gouda, and Lemon Drop Wensleydale all share space in the lineup.
Horseradish Cheddar and Bacon Ranch Cheddar bring the savory side.
Prefer something classic? Smoked Gouda, Smoked Goat Gouda, and a 6 Year Cheddar are on the list too.
The range lets picky eaters and adventurous snackers shop side by side.
Imports add another layer. Espresso BellaVitano, a Wisconsin-made cheese rubbed with roasted coffee, brings another unusual flavor to the selection.
Cheeses from Scotland, Finland, and Holland round out the global section.
Local makers get plenty of love as well. Small Amish farms and Holmes County cheesemakers supply part of the selection.
That mix of nearby and faraway keeps things fun.
A smart move is to sample slowly and keep a mental list. Otherwise you might lose track around flavor number twelve.
Bringing a cooler for the ride home is also a very good idea.
The Ohio Swiss Here Has A Serious Fan Club
Twenty-eight thousand pounds. That’s roughly how much Swiss cheese this barn was reported to sell annually in an earlier account.
Somebody clearly figured out what people want.
The bestseller is Ohio Swiss, made at a small local creamery. It fits the family story perfectly.
After all, the whole legacy started with a radio traded for a wheel of Ohio Swiss.
Swiss works for nearly everything. Slice it for sandwiches, melt it on burgers, or cube it for a snack tray.
It’s the dependable friend of the cheese world.
Picking up a block here means supporting a smaller producer nearby. I appreciate shops that keep local makers front and center.
It gives the purchase a little more meaning than grabbing something wrapped in plastic at a chain store.
If you’re new to the barn, this cheese is a solid starting point. Taste it next to one of the wild flavored cheddars.
The contrast helps you figure out what your taste buds actually prefer.
Then grab extra for the people at home. Swiss travels well with a cooler, and it disappears fast once the fridge door opens.
Consider it a crowd-pleaser with a family history baked right in.
Sweeties Chocolates Turns Fudge Into A Family Tradition
Fudge has been one of the biggest attractions at this candy shop for years. Sweeties Chocolates has its own barn-style building, and it is packed with sugar.
The recipes come from Ronda Poorbaugh.
Many of the chocolates and fudges are homemade. The caramel, peanut butter, and maple creams use Grandma’s secret recipes.
Nobody is sharing those, so you’ll just have to taste them.
The jumbo turtles deserve attention. They’re handmade with Sweeties’ own caramel and freshly roasted pecans and cashews.
That is about as old-fashioned as candy gets.
Ohio pride shows up in the buckeyes and Buckeye Bark. There’s even a chocolate-and-peanut butter buckeye pizza.
Yes, pizza, and no, it does not involve sauce.
The list keeps rolling with chocolate-covered Oreos, graham crackers, and Rice Krispie Treats. Truffles, toffee bars, coconut haystacks, and nonpareils are here too.
Praline pecan patties and jumbo peanut butter cups finish the job.
Fudge samples are offered, which makes choosing easier and harder at once. Try one, then try another to be fair.
A small box for the car and a bigger box for later sounds like a reasonable compromise.
Lunch Comes On A Frisbee You Get To Take Home
Plates are overrated anyway. At the in-house café, made-to-order deli sandwiches arrive on an upside-down Frisbee.
When you’re done eating, the Frisbee is yours.
It’s a silly touch, and that’s exactly why it works. Kids get a toy, adults get a story, and nobody has to wash dishes.
Everyone wins.
Old-fashioned hot dogs are also on the menu. They’re a quick, easy pick when you just need fuel for more shopping.
Pair one with a sandwich if you’re splitting with a friend.
Homemade soups add comfort on chilly days. Tomato and ham and bean are among the options.
A warm bowl feels right after browsing a few hundred cheeses.
Eating here also gives you a break before round two. Shopping on an empty stomach is risky business in a place full of samples.
A real meal helps you make wiser fudge decisions.
Toss the Frisbee in the back seat afterward. It makes a handy reminder of the trip.
Next summer, you can play catch in the yard and think about cheese the whole time.
Smoked Meats And Jerky Bring The Savory Muscle
Cheese needs a partner, and the smoked meats are ready for the job. Country hams, bacon, and trail bologna all have a place on the shelves.
Smoked meats have been part of this family business since Grandpa Yarman’s day.
Trail bologna is a regional treat worth knowing. It slices up beautifully next to a sharp cheddar.
Add some crackers, and you’ve basically built a picnic.
Jerky and beef sticks are also among the popular grabs. Flavors vary, so samples help you find a favorite.
They make easy snacks for long drives across Ohio.
Planning a party tray? Pick a meat, two or three cheeses, and something pickled.
The barn sells all of it, so you won’t need another stop.
A country ham makes a generous holiday centerpiece too. Bacon is the simpler option for weekend breakfasts at home.
Either way, savory shoppers have plenty to choose from.
Remember the cooler tip here as well. Meats and cheeses travel best when they stay cold.
A little planning means your haul arrives home tasting just as good as it did at the counter.
Jams, Pickles, And Pancake Mix Will Sneak Into Your Cart
Two floors of products fill the main Cheesebarn building. That’s a lot of shelf space to explore.
Plan on wandering.
Amish country jams and jellies line up in bright rows. Local honey and maple syrup sit close by.
Breakfast at home is about to get an upgrade.
The barn’s own private label pickles and pancake mixes are here too. Look for those if you want something you won’t find at the grocery store.
They also make thoughtful gifts for neighbors.
Dips, spreads, sauces, and condiments fill even more space. Snacks and baking mixes round out the pantry section.
It’s easy to pick up a jar, then three more.
This is where an extra shopping bag earns its keep. Glass jars get heavy quickly, and you’ll want them protected for the ride.
Pack them between softer items like snack bags.
A fun idea is building a gift basket right on the spot. Choose a jam, a pickle, a mix, and a cheese.
Grandpa’s Cheesebarn & Sweeties Chocolates basically hands you every piece of a perfect Ohio present.
Plan Your Stop Around This Easy Highway Address
Finding the barn is the easy part. Grandpa’s Cheesebarn & Sweeties Chocolates sits at 668 US-250 East, Ashland, OH 44805.
It’s a convenient break for travelers crossing north-central Ohio.
Hours run Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 6 PM. Sunday hours are shorter, from 11 AM to 5 PM.
Plan accordingly if you’re chasing a Sunday fudge fix.
The property has grown into a little foodie village. Newer barn-style buildings hold Sweeties Chocolates and production spaces.
A 2024 expansion added new decking, walkways, improved accessibility, and additional space for Sweeties Chocolates.
Outdoor seating gives you a spot to enjoy your goodies. A patio and a gazebo near a pond make lunch feel like a mini picnic.
It’s a pleasant way to stretch your legs.
Arriving earlier in the day gives you more breathing room to browse. That helps when you’re tasting your way through dozens of cheeses.
It also leaves time for a café lunch.
Before you go, toss a cooler and a spare bag in the car. You’ll probably need both.
Leaving empty-handed just doesn’t seem to happen at this barn.