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Knockanore Farmhouse Cheese
Knockanore | Waterford
Artisan Farmhouse Cheese Producer
One thing we know how to do in Ireland is make good farmhouse cheese. This artisan practice has come back into vogue in the last three decades, and now the country can boast an array of regional cheeses to enjoy. Ireland’s familiar green land is washed by rain and gently warmed in summer sun, to produce lush, sweet grazing for dairy herds. At Ballyneety, Knocaknore, the pedigree Fresian Herd of Eamonn and Patricia Lonergan which munches contentedly on what nature has provided, has done its bit to add to the gourmet reputation of the country – by producing rich milk for the farm’s award winning Knockanore Farmhouse cheese.
Knockanore – or to give it its correct Gaelic spelling – Cnoc an Oir – means Hill of Gold, and that has surely been a good omen for the cheese produced on this farm. Twenty years ago the cheese was born - the brainchild of Eamonn and Patricia, who wanted to make a product which echoed the flavours of the rich pastures of Co Waterford, and offered a real taste of the country. The pair studied long and hard before settling on a hard-pressed cheese style - made from raw cow’s milk from their own herd. Today their efforts have been more than repaid. Knockanore Farmhouse Cheese is famous nationally and internationally, and has won many accolades since its first production in 1987. In the early 90’s, just a few short years after the first cheese was made, it was gonged at the Kerrygold Royal Dublin Society Show, and went on a few years later to win the Ballygowan Good Food Writers Award in 1998. Most recently Knockanore Farmhouse Cheese was voted a gold winner at the International Cheese Awards in Dublin in 2007.
The process of cheesemaking at Knockanore starts with that all-important top quality unpasteurised milk which retains all the natural sweetness and flavours of the grass upon which the cows dine. After setting, the curds are cut and packed into moulds by hand, before maturation. This can take anywhere from six months to a year, depending on the individual cheese. Some are gently smoked over oak sourced from the nearby heritage town of Lismore. The range includes natural plain, red, or flavoured with garlic and herbs, or black pepper and chives. Knockanore is loved for its moist but firm texture somewhere between cheddar and a Gouda, and lingering taste with full nutty notes. There’s not much to beat a wedge of whichever flavour you fancy, served with crisp apple wedges or grapes, some good bread (the Lonergans recommend Barron’s brown or white yeast rolls) and country pickle – with maybe some Irish apple juice to drink. It melts beautifully too for gratins, fantastic cheese on toast, and home made pizza.
You can find Knockanore in most good delis up and down the country, or in farmer’s markets at Dungarvan and Midleton. Of course, it appears on the cheeseboards of some of the country’s finest eating establishments too. But perhaps the best place to pick it up is direct from the farm in the heart of the Waterford countryside.
Business opportunity to become involved in Knockanore Farmhouse Cheese
If you have experince in the Food & Agricultural industry and would like further information on this position please contact the owner Eamonn Lonergan directly eamonn@knockanorecheese.com
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To Contact a Member Directly, please click on the email or website below
BallyneetyKnockanore
Co Waterford
+353 (0) 24 97417 / 97275
Email: eamonn@knockanorecheese.com
Web: www.knockanorecheese.com
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