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The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, today extended his warmest congratulations to Helen Finnegan of Knockdrinna Farm House Cheese on winning the “Supreme Champion” award at the British Cheese Awards for its Kilree Goats cheese.

Kilree Farmhouse Cheese, a homemade goat’s cheese, wowed the judges, an esteemed panel of cheese experts, food writers, chefs and culinary figures. Commenting on the award Helen said “for us, this event is huge. It just opens the door to the UK market and allows us to trade to independents and big supermarkets. We anticipate that the cheese will be available for the Christmas market. It’s amazing how many people love cheese. This is a real celebration for cheese-making.”

Minister Coveney applauded Helen Finnegan’s success “I am extremely proud of the recognition of the new Kilree Goats cheese from Knockdrinna. I hope that this recognition will successfully launch your products into new retailers and suppliers”.

The Minister added that “In Ireland each cheese is unique to each producer, allowing for innovation and creativity. The defining characteristic for Irish farmhouse cheese however, is its authenticity. Producers draw on milk from grassland farming and the cheese is hand crafted and delivers on taste every time.” The Minister was also delighted that a further 30 Irish cheeses enjoyed success at the awards.

The production of farmhouse cheese in Ireland experienced a revival and now has some 50 farmhouse cheese-makers with an estimated turnover of €12 million in Artisan and specialty foods. Seeking out local food experiences has risen on the agenda of visiting tourists with the market for food tourism in Ireland now valued at €2.2 billion.