Goodbye Gubbeen

Last week I had to say my goodbyes to the Fergusons and Gubbeen Cheese, and begin my trip to London. I spent Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday last week in London. Thursday and Friday I spent at Neal's Yard, one of the world's top cheese shops, working in the Arches. The Arches is where they receive and take care of all the cheese that Neal's Yard sells. They have four aging rooms for soft ripened and mold ripened cheese and one large room for aging hard cheeses. I was also able to get a tour of their shop located in the Borough Market. When I wasn't at Neal's Yard, I was out exploring the city. I was able to see many of the London sites, including: Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, and the Globe. This week I will take the train to Quickes Cheddar located in South Western England. Another adventure!

Cashel Blue

This last week was my final full week in Ireland. On Monday morning I took the bus up to the city of Cashel, which is one hour north of the city of Cork.  I spent the rest of the day touring Cashel. I saw the Cashel Rock, which is a 12th century Celtic cathedral that over looks the city. 

On Tuesday I met up with Jane and Louis Grubb, the founders of Cashel Blue Farmhouse Cheese. They gave me a tour of their factory, just outside the city of Cashel. I was also able to spend time with their daughter, Sarah and her husband Sergio, as they sampled and hand picked cheese to fill their orders. They explained to me what they are looking for in their cheese and how to care for blue cheese as it ages. That night I headed back to the Gubbeen where I spent the rest of the week helping in the cheese factory. Two more of my cheesse I made were ready for sampling.  I liked them better then the first two, but still are not perfect yet.

My first Irish Cheese is Ready!

Last week was a short week, as we didn't work on Good Friday.  Once again I spent my time at Gubbeen between helping with making cheese and curing cheese. Some of the first cheeses I made here were finally mature enougth for me to taste. I was very pleased with the results and so was Giana. I just need to fine tune them a little bit. I was able to explore the Irish country side by bike a little more this weekend. The rest of my time has been planing my trip to England and then on to Switzerland and Germany.

Fermoy Natural Cheese Company

Another week's has gone by.  I spent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at Gubeen this week making and curing cheese.  On Thursday morning, I went up to the city of Cork to help out with the farmers market.  After helping with the market I took a bus up to the city of Fermoy.  In Fermoy I meet up with Frank and Gudrig Shinnik, owners of Fermoy Natural Cheese Company. 

Fermoy Natural Cheese Company is a small farmstead cheese factory.  They produce four different types of raw milk cheese, three of them are washed rind cheeses.  On Friday morning I was able to watch them making Cais Dubh, a Gouda type cheese. On Saturday I helped Frank with his cheese deliverers to small cheese shops along the coast of Southern Ireland. I can't believe I only have two weeks left in Ireland before I head to England.

Curing and Washing Cheese at Gubbeen

This last week went by faster then the others. We made cheese four days this week at Gubbeen. I was able to spent some more time with Rose, head cheese maker, learning when the cheese is ready to be molded. When I wasn't helping with cheese making I was helping with curing and washing the cheese, which creates the rind of the cheese. As the cheese matures we do different steps to help with the rind growth. I was also able to experiment with two small batches of cheese this week - pictured above. I was very happy with my results. Let's hope they taste good!

On Saturday and Sunday I was able to get out and go for a bike ride through the hilly country side of West Cork. I am getting ready for another week of cheese making and hopefully some side trips to another cheese factory.

St. Patrick's Day in Ireland

Last week was St. Patrick's Day, and nowhere on earth is this holiday celebrated with more gusto than in its home country of Ireland.  To participate in the festivities (which is of course a national holiday - no working allowed!), I went up to the city of Cork, the second largest city in Ireland for its St. Patrick's Day parade. The streets were full of people and it was quite the spectacle.

Then it was back to work the next day. The rest of the week I helped out in the cheese factory, focusing most of my attention on the curing of the Gubbeen Cheese.  I made two small batches of cheese again this week and with the help of Giana, I am making great progress, but I still need to do a little fine tuning.  

On Saturday morning I caught a bus for Galway, a city on the western coast of Ireland. In Galway, I met up with Seamus Sheridan of Sheridans Cheesemongers (photos above). I spent the afternoon in his cheese shop learning and sampling cheeses from Ireland and around Europe. To top the day off, I watched Ireland defeat Wales in the Six Nations Rugby Tournament to Win the Grand Slam. I was able to make some contacts in others cheese factories around Ireland who I hope to start visiting this week. Until next time!

Out and About in Ireland

This past Friday and Saturday I did a little experimenting with some cheese making. I made two small batches on the stove here in Ireland. I am hoping to make a St. Paulin style cheese -- it is a semi-hard washed rind with a mild nutty flavor. I did have some luck with it, but I still need to perfect the recipe. Giana and I will work on the cheese later this week. 

This weekend we finally got some nice warm sunny weather so I was able to get out and walk around the country. Enjoy the photos!