Carlow Farmhouse Cheese is situated on a farm in the centre of the county, milking dairy sheep for a hard cheddar-type cheese and a pecorino style cheese. Both may be matured for up to two years. In season yoghurt and ricotta is available from the ewe’s milk. Cow’s milk is bought from a neighbouring farmer and a small amount of washed curd cow cheese is made, some flavoured, to complement the sheep cheese.
All are available at Carlow Farmers Market, along with an extensive range of other cheeses, including Mount Leinster Cheddar, which was awarded Super Gold in the 2023 World Cheese Competition. Other markets and speciality shops are also supplied including The Hidden Corner, in Carrick-on-Shannon, run by Leitrim Hill Creamery; Heidi Ryan’s in Kenmare, the Purple Pantry in Glasnevin and close to home – The Barrow Blend in Bagenalstown.
The aim is to provide the public with minimally processed food, offering them a taste of place and the opportunity to support sustainable farming and food production. This is a working farm, but may be visited by appointment.
Carlow Farmhouse Cheese is a micro enterprise run by Elizabeth Bradley on her farm in Ballybrommel in Fenagh – a rural part of County Carlow, near the foothills of Mount Leinster in the South East of Ireland.
Elizabeth has been farming for most of her life and hand-making her cheeses since 2005. She studied cheese-making both in Ireland and in Haute Savoie in France.
Recently (2019) she has been joined in Carlow on her farm by Vincenzo La Manna who started making cheese from his own flock of dairy sheep in 2013, in the Macroom area, west of Cork.
Vincenzo is Italian and a veterinarian. He also has a PhD in molecular biology from the university of Aberdeen, Scotland, and extensive experience and knowledge of HACCP protocols, bacteriology and the chemistry involved in cheese making.
Elizabeth began by selling her cheeses locally at The Carlow Farmer’s market and has built up a loyal following over a few short years. An identical path for Vincenzo. Direct interaction between farmer and consumer is something they truly believe in and is central to their business ethic.
Elizabeth’s cheeses are made with both pasteurised and raw milk. Her popular Edam style, washed curd cheese is made with pasteurised cow’s milk and has a regular following. Her sheep’s cheese is made with raw milk and has won best-in-category in the British Cheese Awards (Gold 2014, & Bronze 2013) and her new Goat’s cheese (Tomme style) made with raw milk. Sheep milk yoghurt and pasteurized goat milk are also available.
Vincenzo’s cheeses are only made with sheep’s milk. He makes a Pecorino style cheese from the Marche region in Italy, very different from the better known pecorino from Sardinia. He also makes a Conciato, a 200gr round of pecorino aged in sealed jars with a special condiment, only for the brave, and his semi soft 200gr “The soft sheep”. Finally a sheep ricotta made with the traditional method, if you learn how to use ricotta, you’ll be hooked.
