Fast growth in Republic for Northern Irish artisan cheese
Northern Ireland artisan cheese maker Mike's Fancy Cheese has seen
business for his Young Buck raw milk blue-veined blue product in theRepublic of Ireland grow by over 50 per cent over the past two
years.
The artisan cheese enterprise, which is owned by Mike Thomson and isbased at Newtownards in county Down, has seen business in the
Republic grow strongly as a result of a deal with La Rousse Foods inDublin, one of the biggest gourmet food operations on the island of Ireland.
As well as marketing Young Buck to leading chefs in hotels and
restaurants, La Rousse is also using the cheese in its bakery in
Dublin, where it is being used in sourdough breads in particular.
The best known of Northern Ireland's developing artisan cheese
sector, Thomson says: "The distribution agreement with La Rousse
has made a tremendous difference to my business through the access
it has provided to chefs throughout Ireland.
"It's usually very hard for an artisan business to reach the right
people who make decisions in top hotels and restaurants.
What La Rousse has provided is contact with chefs throughout
Ireland. The La Rousse team has really marketed my cheese and this
has led to excellent business for me. Overall, the support from La
Rousse has been immensely encouraging. Using my cheese in their bakery is another marvellous endorsement," he adds.
La Rousse Foods is an independent, Irish company, specialising in
the supply of fine foods to premium food establishments since 1992.
The company offers a wide range of fresh, seasonal and innovative
produce from a network of local and international producers. La
Rousse Foods has been ISO 22000 accredited since 2009 and upgraded
to FSSC 22000 in 2014. La Rousse has its own butchery, bakery,
cheese-maturing room and chocolate lab.
Thomson set up Mike's Fancy Cheese in 2014 after training at the
School of Artisan Food in England and working in a dairy there.
He also gained experience from Neal's Yard Dairy, one of Britain's
biggest artisan cheese businesses, and from working at the Arcadia
in Belfast, Northern Ireland's award winning deli.
He used crowdfunding to raise an initial ?80,000 to start the
artisan cheese business.
Northern Ireland Food and Drink companies are also celebrating the
regions pure, natural, quality food and drink in 2016, with a seriesof local, national, and international promotional events.
business for his Young Buck raw milk blue-veined blue product in theRepublic of Ireland grow by over 50 per cent over the past two
years.
The artisan cheese enterprise, which is owned by Mike Thomson and isbased at Newtownards in county Down, has seen business in the
Republic grow strongly as a result of a deal with La Rousse Foods inDublin, one of the biggest gourmet food operations on the island of Ireland.
As well as marketing Young Buck to leading chefs in hotels and
restaurants, La Rousse is also using the cheese in its bakery in
Dublin, where it is being used in sourdough breads in particular.
The best known of Northern Ireland's developing artisan cheese
sector, Thomson says: "The distribution agreement with La Rousse
has made a tremendous difference to my business through the access
it has provided to chefs throughout Ireland.
"It's usually very hard for an artisan business to reach the right
people who make decisions in top hotels and restaurants.
What La Rousse has provided is contact with chefs throughout
Ireland. The La Rousse team has really marketed my cheese and this
has led to excellent business for me. Overall, the support from La
Rousse has been immensely encouraging. Using my cheese in their bakery is another marvellous endorsement," he adds.
La Rousse Foods is an independent, Irish company, specialising in
the supply of fine foods to premium food establishments since 1992.
The company offers a wide range of fresh, seasonal and innovative
produce from a network of local and international producers. La
Rousse Foods has been ISO 22000 accredited since 2009 and upgraded
to FSSC 22000 in 2014. La Rousse has its own butchery, bakery,
cheese-maturing room and chocolate lab.
Thomson set up Mike's Fancy Cheese in 2014 after training at the
School of Artisan Food in England and working in a dairy there.
He also gained experience from Neal's Yard Dairy, one of Britain's
biggest artisan cheese businesses, and from working at the Arcadia
in Belfast, Northern Ireland's award winning deli.
He used crowdfunding to raise an initial ?80,000 to start the
artisan cheese business.
Northern Ireland Food and Drink companies are also celebrating the
regions pure, natural, quality food and drink in 2016, with a seriesof local, national, and international promotional events.