The next chapter at Corleggy
MEET THE FINALISTS: BEST AGRI-FOOD BUSINESS
Established by German-born Silke Cropp, Corleggy Cheese grew from a desire to find quality cheese locally after she moved to County Cavan in 1981. Through trial and error, she developed a range of farmhouse cheeses, establishing the business in 1985. Since then, the artisan cheeses have been made at Corleggy Farmhouse on the banks of the River Erne. The family produces small batches using milk sourced from three neighbouring farms. “Grass fed animals give the best milk,” they are certain. The range includes Corleggy hard goat’s cheese, Creeny sheep’s cheese and Drumlin cow’s cheese, available in varieties including smoked, cumin and peppercorn. Its softer offerings include fresh white-moulded cow’s and goat’s cheeses, while Quivvy is a seasonal goat’s cheese preserved in olive oil with sun-dried tomatoes.
The cheeses are sold through farmers’ markets, delicatessens and restaurants around Ireland, with some also reaching European markets, but, most important to them: their varieties don’t exceed 10 tonnes annually.
“We’re a very small production,” says second-generation cheesemaker Tom Cropp, explaining the direction Corleggy has taken recently. “One of the biggest focuses was on our cheesemaking schools, which we provide, where you can come and learn how to make cheese for a day,” he said.
The classes offer visitors a practical introduction to the slow-food philosophy, with participants learning the basics and making their own cheese to take home and mature over time.
“They’ve been very popular and we’re trying to focus more on experiences,” Tom said. Beside cheese making, a brewery class is new on their list.
Alongside its visitor experiences, the business is working to improve its environmental practices after joining the Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark community. “Included in that was a sustainability plan and at the moment we’re putting a lot of things into our business to help with the sustainability end of it,” Tom said.
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FULL LIST OF FINALISTS
Read about the other three finalists in this category by visiting the stories below.