Knockdrinna Kilree

British Cheese Awards Supreme Champion 2011. Kilree is the newest addition to thier
range of goats cheeses. Beneath its fine orange slightly sticky, leathery rind is
a smooth, pale ivory interior that breaks rather than crumbles into large flakes .
The flavours are complex yet well balanced hinting of almonds and marzipan.
Knockdrinna Farmhouse Cheese have been making cheese since 2004 at their Farm
in Stoneyford Co Kilkenny.

www.knockdrinna.com

Moon Shine Dairy Farm.

Moonshine Emmental

An attractive Irish semi-soft Emmental-style cheese from Moon Shine Dairy Farm
Co Galway that Harbutt described as tastiing of ‘fermented fruit’
(odd, but I know what she meant – it was a bit peary). Organic and biodynamic

www.kellysorganic.com

www.thecheeseambassador.com

Crozier Blue Cheese

Beechmount Farm,Fethard,Co. Tipperary

Crozier Blue is characterful cheese with flavour and a pleasing creamy element,
yet not overpowering strength, as such they represent good cheeseboard options,
appealing to both blue cheese lovers and those who may be a little concerned to
dare the blues!
Crozier Blue is a hand-made, semi-soft, blue veined, medium-strength blue cheese
with a creamy texture. Made in Ireland, this is one of the country’s few blue cheeses,
made from sheep’s milk. It is made on the farm of Jane and Louis Grubb by their daughter
Sarah Furno. Crozier Blue is a more recent creation from the farm which produces a
sister cheese Cashel Blue cheese made using from cow’s milk.

www.cashelblue.com

Cratloe Hills Sheep’s Cheese

Cratloe Hills Sheep’s Cheese was the first Irish ewe’s milk made in modern times.
The Fitzgerald family milks their herd of pedigree Friesland ewes from March, after
the lambing has finished, until September when the ewes get a much-deserved winter break.
The lightly waxed cheese is matured for between 2 – 6 months. The young cheese has
a semi-firm texture and a light caramel taste and a slightly dry finish. As the cheese
ages, the texture dries slightly and the flavour becomes more robust.

www.cratloehillscheese.com

Commenting on the Féasta Bia Award Ceremony, The Minister for Agriculture,
Food and Marine Mr. Simon Coveney TD stated “This is a wonderful initiative
that recognises the forward thinking of local food producers supported by the
overall vision of the Atlantic Way Food Initiative. Local food production
generates a huge contribution to local communities economically and culturally.
Initiatives like the Atlantic Way Food Initiative Féasta Bia Awards bring together
local communities, businesses and food producers for the greater good of the area
and growth of indigenous industries. Recognising local food producers in this way
is hugely important to developing Ireland’s strengths in food tourism and the
experience of visitors and tourists alike.

“Atlantic Way continues to push ahead in developing and continuing the ethos
of the community and acknowledging the participation of food producers through
events such as today’s award ceremony. The overall ethos of the Atlantic Way Food
Initiative is to continue working for the benefit of the region, in partnership
and collaboration on a holistic basis with all of the various stakeholders
including the Irish Hotels Federation, agencies including Bord Bia, Tourism
Ireland and Fáilte Ireland and Departments” stated Mr. Brian O’ Connell,
Chairperson of the Atlantic Way.

Thurs 21st Jan 2010

ADARE’S White Sage restaurant has made it into the prestigious Michelin guide, winning the “Bib Gourmand” listing for its chef-owner Tony Schwarz.
The announcement came last January 15th 2010 making it a very good new year for Tony and his wife, Bobbie, who runs the restaurant with him.

“It’s fantastic. Getting into the Guide, getting a mention at all is an achievement but to get the Bib Gourmand, which is the level below one Michelin star, is brilliant.”

The Michelin Guide is one of the oldest food-guides around and is very much an independent rating-system. “It is something you don’t or can’t pay for,” Tony continues.

The White Sage is now one of just 14 restaurants in Ireland to merit Bib Gourmand status, one of just five in Munster – and the only one in Limerick.

The Bib Gourmand status Tony goes on, stands for good quality food at reasonable prices. And the guide’s own definition, according to Michelin’s director, Jean-Luc Naret, is “restaurants that inspectors take their own families to on their days off”.

The first inspector’s visit came last summer, Tony explains but it was only after the man had eaten that Tony was aware of his presence.

There were a number of anonymous follow-up visits afterwards.

“The challenge now is to keep it,” Tony continues. But he feels well able for that challenge. And ultimately, he hopes to achieve every chef’s dream – to win a Michelin star.

“Any chef worth his calibre who says he is not interested in winning a Michelin star is lying. It is the equivalent of an Oscar to a chef.”

The Michelin listing is doubly welcome – coming as it does after just two years in business and a bad run over Christmas and the New Year because of ice and snow.

On one night alone during that period, Tony explains, two groups, one of 30 from Dublin, the other of 35 from England had to cancel because they were unable to travel.

He traces his passion for food back to his great-grandfather, a master baker and patisserie-maker in Germany.

His grandfather too took to cooking as a profession – and Tony says, laughingly, his own career in professional kitchens began in his teens with a job washing up pots.

But within weeks of starting at the Owenbue Restaurant in Carrigaline, Tony was on his way to chef-dom and over the next two decades worked in establishments such as Gabys Seafood Restaurant, Dingle, the Strawberry Tree in Killarney, Arbutus Lodge in Cork, Tulfarris House and Country Club and Drimcong House.

He also traveled widely in Europe, picking up skills and knowledge along the way and worked for a time in Canada before returning to Ireland.

Tony, born in Waterford but reared in Cork spent seven years in The Mustard Seed in Ballingarry where he helped win several awards.

But by 2008, Tony was more than ready to go it alone and he and Bobbie opened The White Sage in the spring of that year.

Happily, their first year coincided with the Irish Open in Adare and was brilliant – and 2009 went well too. “Numbers were up but the spend was down.”

His strategy is to offer fresh, quality food at reasonable prices. The Early Bird menu, he points out is €25.50 for two courses or  €30 for three and the average a la carte cost is about  €35, without drinks.

“This is not fine dining but fine food, cooked in a fine location in a fine and beautiful country,” Tony says on his website, www.whitesagerestaurant.com

The White Sage is closed this month for its annual break but will re-open with fanfare on February 2 – complete with Bib Gourmand status.