Quince Fromagerie Cellar

Stocked from floor to ceiling, Quince Fromagerie Cellar is a one-stop shop for all your gourmet and picnic needs on the Gold Coast.

Featured right at the entrance to the popular, boho shopping precinct of the southern Gold Coast, Cornerstone Stores, Quince’s ethos is all about bringing a taste of Europe to Australia.

Aside from a handful of locally-crafted beers, gins and freshly-baked baguettes, this veritable cornucopia is a food lovers paradise of delectable international delicatessen fare and stylish homeware accessories.

Whilst the shop is small in footprint, you will easily find yourself lost in here as you explore the myriad of choices at your fingertips. Be prepared to lose some time.

Quince sports a walk-in cheese room that stocks a range of more than 40 cheeses, along with divine charcuterie choices, from across Europe and beyond to suit every taste and occasion. From large, artisan cheese wheels to eat-in-a-sitting smaller serves, a few minutes in this temperature-controlled fromagerie will have you salivating in anticipation and forgetting any diet plans.

Keeping the planet and the integrity of your cheese intact, owner Raf Grosso has responsibly chosen to wrap his cut cheese in specially-imported French waxed cheese paper, rather than in plastic. It’s these sort of ethical touches that will see you heading back to Quince whenever you're nearby.

Wine enthusiasts will be thrilled to discover there is an entire section of the store dedicated to more than 100 wines of classic varietals – the majority are internationally-sourced from leading wine-making regions and countries such as France, Spain, Italy, South America and California, to name just a few. And many of the labels on offer are only stocked in Queensland, if not Australia, at Quince!

Now, if the wine takes your fancy, a heads-up… Quince is not your regular bottle shop. To be able to buy alcohol, you need to purchase other items from the store – from the array of food or homewares offerings, the choice is yours.

But trust me, this decision isn't an easy one!

Apart from the consumables, Quince stocks a beautiful collection of picnicking essentials that are guaranteed to impress and be treasured.

Blankets and rugs, glassware, woven baskets, pillows, even purpose-built, fold-away timber picnic tables – all items every serious picnicker should definitely own, mind you – will take your next picnic from ho-hum to stylish soiree.

Not stopping there, Raf has thought of everything. If you’re time-poor, you can shop online and order a beautifully-curated picnic hamper or dinner bag to collect in-store. Food and wine paired thoughtfully together by an expert. Dining made easy without compromising taste and experience.

Nice to know – Cornerstone precinct has plenty of off-street parking available, and there is a beautiful green space to the rear of the precinct where you are welcome to relax and enjoy your purchases. Quince also stocks a small selection of organic and biodynamic wines.

By Danella Perrins