Cork Says Cheese!
Cork has a rich history with cheese, so this month, I’ve kept it local, and I have decided to reach out and interview two of the amazing family-run cheese companies we have here in Cork to get an insight into the cheese industry.
Coolea Farmhouse Cheese
Coolea cheese was set up in 1979 by Helene and Dick Willems, who decided to start making cheese from the milk they produced on their small farm in Coolea, West Cork. It started off as a hobby, but their hobby soon developed in a small enterprise, and in 1991, their son Dicky joined the team and became the main cheesemaker in 1993. I had a conversation with Dicky to find out more about the company.
What was the motivation to start your business?
My mum started making cheese around 1980. We are Dutch and moved to Ireland in 1978, I was 10 years old at the time. We couldn’t buy Dutch cheese in Ireland at the time. It was just white and red cheddar really in the shops. So, she bought a little cheese making kit from Holland and started making a Gouda style cheese for the family, 1lb at the time. We had some cows which my dad milked by hand, and friends and neighbours loved the cheese she was making. She started making some more and it just grew from there. In 1987 we became a limited company, and my parents took out a loan to build a proper cheese making facility. We are still working from the same facility and have just increased the storage areas for maturing cheese which is something we started to do in the early nineties. We produce cheese for seven months of the year. As soon as the cows go out, we start production, and as soon as they go back inside for the winter, we stop, as it is very difficult to produce nice cheese from cows fed on silage.
What makes your business and products unique in a crowded market?
I can only guess what makes our cheese stand out in a crowd, but I think it’s down to taste as with any artisan food really.
What have been your biggest successes and challenges over the years?
I guess our biggest achievements are the many prizes we have won over the years. We haven’t really had many problems over the years. As we carry about 30,000 kilos of cheese at times, I guess cash flow would have been the biggest one.
What do you love about your job in the cheese industry in Cork?
I love making cheese and always have to be honest. The quality of the cheese is our main objective. I suppose the best part of making cheese in the hills of Coolea is the natural beauty around us. We live in the most beautiful country in the world. You can always survive in Ireland. Fresh water and a great climate to grow whatever you need or want. Just a little less rain would be nice!
What are your hopes for your company in the future?
The future for Coolea Cheese depends on what my son and daughter want to do. If they want to take it on, I would be inclined to increase production and start supplying into the bigger shops with retail packs. But as it stands now, we will just keep on doing what we are doing and do it to the best of our ability.
You can check out their website here, and you can follow them on social media by clicking on the following links, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Ballinrostig Homestead
Ballinrostig Cheese is owned and run by husband-and-wife team, Stephen Bender and Michele Cashman. In 2014, they renovated and moved into Michele’s family home in Ballinrostig, East Cork, and they transformed the garage into a purpose built dairy. I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Michele to find out more about the business.
What was the motivation to start your business?
A love of cheese, a passion for cheese making and an even deeper love of good Gouda.
We are not a growth-oriented company, we want to supply a local market with a very high-quality cheese and balance this with a lifestyle based on our values and interests.
What makes your business and products unique in a crowded market?
Quite simply the taste, followed by the fact that we are organic and then that we use Jersey cow milk.
What have been your biggest successes over the years?
Starting the business from scratch, designing, and building the purpose-built dairy in a timely and cost-effective way.
What are your best-selling products?
Our ‘Gold’, that is our 4-month-old Gouda, and our Mature Gouda, then our Halloumi has raving fans!
What do you love about your job in the cheese industry in Cork?
The satisfaction of meeting our customers on the Farmers markets and the chefs in the restaurants we supply. Getting unsolicited positive feedback is always lovely.
Your hopes for your company in the future?
That we can continue to produce our quality product and continue to balance that with our lifestyle. We also have some diversification plans in mind.
You can check out the website here, and you can follow them on social media by clicking on the following links, Instagram and Facebook,
I have only highlighted just some of the amazing cheese companies we have here in Cork, and there are many others out there who are providing us with fantastic high-quality cheese, so make sure to check them out and support the ones local to you!
Some other Cork cheese companies for you to check out!
- Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheese. You can check them out by clicking on the following links, Facebook, and Instagram.
- The Lost Valley Dairy. You can check them out by clicking on the following link. Instagram.
- Hegarty’s Cheese. You can check them out by clicking on the following link, Facebook.
- Ardsallagh Farmhouse Cheese. You can check them out by clicking on the following link, Facebook.
- Mileens Cheese. You can check them out by clicking on the following links, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Durrus Cheese. You can check them out by clicking on the following link, Facebook.
By Emma Wilkinson
