Tag Archives: St Tola Goat Cheese

CLARE Jam Company enjoyed a sweet moment this weekend winning gold at the Blas na hÉireann Awards in Dingle. It wasn’t for one of their tasty fruit preserves however, as the company name implies, but for one of their savoury products – traditional Doolin mustard. The Doolin company’s versatility was rewarded with gold by the judges and they also took the ‘Best in Clare for 2022’ award. Two other Burren-based businesses were also successful, gaining silver and bronze at the leading food awards. The Burren Smokehouse won silver for their Cold Smoked Honey and Dill salmon, while St Tola Irish Goat cheese won bronze for their St Tola Karst cheese. This year’s finalists and winners got to experience the Blas Village for the first time. Located in the heart of Dingle, this pop-up village was built for producers across the country to come together and celebrate the very best of Irish food and drink for Blas’s first in-person event in …

The importance of locally-produced food has been underlined by the pandemic, says St Tola’s Siobhán Garvey tells Conor Clohessy FROM fresh crottin to classic logs, Greek style to hard, Siobhán Ní Gháirbhith and the team at Inagh Farmhouse Cheese have been producing St Tola Goat Cheese for well over 20 years. Near the village of Inagh, St Tola was originally established by Meg and Derrick Gordan on their 25-acre farm in the early 1980s; since 1999, Siobhán has been continuing their legacy on her own farm, which she inherited from her parents. Siobhán recalls buying goat’s milk from the Gordans growing up, because her family would use it as a home treatment for the asthma that her sisters Róisín and Sinéad suffered with from an early age. She said: “I was a primary school teacher in Galway and my parents were also teachers, leasing out our land to neighbours. I thought it was a pity we weren’t using the land. …

THREE Clare cheesemakers tasted success at the Irish Cheese Awards 2021, the Irish Farmhouse Cheesemaker’s prestigious gala. St Tola Goat Farm fared best with two gold awards and a silver. In the ‘Fresh/ Soft Cheese: Goat Milk’ category, the Inagh organisation took gold for their St Tola Divine. In the ‘Raw Milk Cheese: All milk types’ category, there was another gold for their St Tola Original Log. In the “Soft White Cheese: All Milk Types” meanwhile, they took silver for their St. Tola Ash. Burren Gold Cheese, Aillwee Cave, Ballyvaughan received the Bronze in the “Hard Cheese: Flavour Added’ category for their Burren Gold Cumin. Cratloe Hills, meanwhile, from Brickhill West, Cratloe, received the Bronze medal in the ‘Hard/Semi Hard Cheese Under 6 Months: Goat, Sheep, Buffalo’ category for its Cratloe Hills Sheep’s cheese. Organised by Cáis, the Association of Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers, the bi-annual event which took place in Bray, celebrates Ireland’s vibrant and thriving farmhouse cheese sector. Now …

TWO Clare food producers tasted success on the national stage at the weekend landing awards in the prestigious Blas na hÉireann competition. The Burren Butcher, from Lisdoonvarna, won gold and best in county awards for their six ounce steak burger. The Hawes, Neil and Paula, who trade as The Burren Butcher, expressed their delight at being best in their category which is a competitive space. “We’re in nice company there,” Paula told The Champion, “with the likes of James Whelan and Dunnes Stores. “They’re a great award to get, very high-profile, so we’re thrilled. Hopefully this Gold Blas award and the award of Best in Co Clare will be a major boost to us , we are after all a busy family micro business and every little helps” Neil Hawes Craft Butchers began trading in 2008 and was a multi award-winning butcher based in Lisdoonvarna specialising in locally sourced Burren beef and lamb. The win, says Paula, is confirmation that …

CLARE was showcased to the nation on Wednesday when RTÉ’s popular daytime Today show broadcast live from Ennis with host Dáithí Ó Sé. The production team based themselves in the Old Ground Hotel during filming, travelling to the four corners to highlight the best of the Banner. Speaking to The Clare Champion, Dáithí revealed that he has a soft spot for the county. “We come to Clare a lot, last Sunday we took a spin back to Spanish Point, it’s beautiful back there. Rita’s parents both come from there so we are very familiar with West Clare and often come to Ennis shopping. “It’s great to be here and get a feel of the town being back again, there’s a great buzz. “You’re very lucky in Clare. You are on the Wild Atlantic Way, have the Cliff of Moher and the Burren, towns like Ennis, the trad music. There’s a great balance, you get it all here.” While in Clare Dáithí met with …