Cork scoops top honours at cheese awards
Dick Willems and his wife Helene of Coolea Farmhouse Cheese Picture: Finbarr O'Rourke Photography.
THE great and good of Ireland’s cheesemaking community gathered recently in the charming 19th century Orangerie amongst the Regency glamour of Kilshane House in Co Tipperary, to celebrate the winners of the 2024 Cáis Irish Cheese Awards.
Cáis is the Association of Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers, established in 1983 with the aim of showcasing what was, at the time, Ireland’s burgeoning farmhouse cheese movement. That movement began with the late Veronica Steele who, alongside her husband Norman, created Milleens, the semi-soft washed rind cheese created from the milk of their one-horned cow, Brisket, in Eyeries on the Beara Peninsula.
That cheese was discovered by the likes of Myrtle Allen of Ballymaloe House and Declan Ryan of Arbutus Lodge, and has since been recognised for its position in the revolutionary ‘big bang’ that kick started Ireland’s artisan food movement.
Around the same time, Jeffa Gill created Durrus Cheese, Giana Ferguson developed the first expression of Gubeen Cheese, and Dick and Helene Wilhems were perfecting Coolea – all in West Cork.
Sometimes, when we talk about these iconic West Cork farmhouse cheeses, it’s as though they have been with us forever, yet they have been part of our gastronomic landscape for just four and a half decades.
Incredible to think how much we owe to the people who make these cheeses for the vibrant larder of quality artisanal foods we have access to easily, today.
Fast forward, and Bord Bia estimates there to be in the region of 200 different farmhouse cheeses produced by 70 cheesemakers. This year, Cáis received 175 entries across 17 categories including Raw Milk, Blue, Smoked, aged cheeses and cheese with added flavours.
As might be expected for a county where the Irish farmhouse cheese revolution began, Cork makers were well represented across all categories, picking up six bronze, six silver, and six gold awards.
But it was about to get a whole lot better with the announcement that Cork would be taking home two very prestigious titles: Supreme Champion and Lifetime Achievement.
Supreme Champion Hegarty’s Cheese, established in 2001, is located on the edge of Cork city in Whitechurch. Dan has been making his pasteurised and raw milk cheeses for over two decades, alongside French cheesemaker Jean-Baptiste Enjelvin who joined in 2016. Dan’s father, Jim, tends their herd of Irish Friesian cows and manages the grass.
Templegall is a Swiss-style cheese made with raw milk and aged for at least nine months. This year, Hegarty’s Templegall was selected as the Supreme ChampionToon. A delighted Dan was – almost – lost for words on receiving his award, the second time this cheese has been selected to be Supreme Champion at these awards.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have retained the Supreme Champion title. Templegall Extra Mature is only made during summer months when the cows are grazing outside and at their happiest, with milk produced in the morning. Having complete control over the entire process, from what the cows eat to when we make it, is what allows us to produce such an outstanding cheese. It might only take us half a morning to make, but then there’s a whole year of careful minding to ensure we achieve the quality of the cheese we’re looking for.”
Lifetime Achievement Award Dick and Helene Willems established Coolea in 1979, making cheese to a very old Dutch Gouda recipe using pasteurised milk from their own cows. Coolea Cheese is aged for at least two months, the extra mature for around 18 months, as well as a selection of cheeses with added flavours. But it is perhaps their extra mature cheese, with its crumbly, fudgy texture studded with salt crystals and flavours of toffee and apricot that encapsulates why Coolea Cheese is much loved by cheese lovers and chefs everywhere.
In his acceptance speech, Dick Willems said that he became a member of Cáis early on because he knew making cheese can be a “very lonesome” experience. He leaned on the association and its links with organisations as diverse as Teagasc, Bord Bia, and UCC’s school of dairy science to troubleshoot, problem solve, and figure out how to get the cheese he made in the mountains of west Cork into the hands of retailers, chefs and consumers across Ireland.
“We’re both extremely grateful and proud of this award and feel incredibly honoured to have been acknowledged in this way. As one of the founding members, we’re hugely thankful for the opportunities that being a part of the Association over the last 40 years has given us to work with, and for, so many fantastic farmhouse cheesemakers all over Ireland.” The current chairperson of Cáis is Tom Dinneen who, together with his wife Norma, established Bó Rua farmhouse cheese based near Fermoy.
“Celebrating excellence at the Irish Cheese Awards not only honours our rich heritage, but also propels us towards a vibrant future,” says Tom. “By acknowledging and commending the dedication of individual cheesemakers, these awards ignite innovation, enhance standards, and nurture a thriving community of Irish cheesemakers. Together, we are forging a legacy of quality and sustainability securing the lasting success of Irish farmhouse cheesemaking for generations to come.” For the full list of all the 2024 Cáis Irish Farmhouse Cheese Award winners, visit www.irishcheese.ie
App?
