Northern Irish artisan cheese business invests to grow

Leggygowan Farm Cheese, the Northern Irish artisan goat's cheese producer, is stepping up production in response to growing demand for its farm house cheese.

The small company, based on a family farm at Saintfield village in county Down, has expanded its production operation and is also adding to its herd of goats. These developments will enable Leggygowan Farm to increase output of its goat's cheeses from one batch a month to two every week during April.

Leggygowan Farm launched Northern Ireland's first goat's blue cheese, a semi-soft cheese last year. This followed an earlier introduction of a white goat's cheese in 2010. The company uses milk from the farm's 100-strong herd of pedigree goats, including Nubians, reared on the 20-acre farm.

Adam Kelly, one of three brothers who run the family business, says: "We have invested in new milking and other production facilities because of the very positive feedback from cheese enthusiasts and also from deli owners in Northern Ireland.

"We've even attracted inquiries from cheese lovers in Britain and Ireland by means of our website and facebook page. Several leading restaurants are either offering the cheese on cheeseboards or cooking with it.

"There's clearly a growing demand for Ireland for distinctively flavoured goat's cheese. We believe that our cheese has enormous potential because it's the only genuine farmhouse and handcrafted product of its kind in Northern Ireland."

Leggygowan, a farm diversification business, is also supplying its goat's blue cheese to leading chefs in high-end hotels and restaurants and is keen to grow business outside Northern Ireland.

Both the blue and white goat's cheeses are produced in 1kg blocks. The blue cheese is matured over a five-week period. The company is to make the cheese available in 5kg blocks soon.

The company is also using its own goat's milk to develop fudge and soap.