~ Pat Fenton, Mitchelstown Master Cheese Grader.

Central to the success of making full flavoured cheeses is of course having a regular supply of its most important raw material, the finest Irish milk. Based on projected consumer demand, we will use a staggering 150,000 gallons of milk in a single day during the cheese making season at Mitchelstown! Once the milk is tested, it is cooled to a constant temperature of 4° centigrade and stored in silos. To prepare it for making cheese and to remove any unwanted bacteria, it is pasteurised, which means the milk is heated quickly to 72°centigrade for 15 seconds and then cooled rapidly to prevent the loss of vitamins and minerals important in the cheese flavour profile.

From this point the milk is pumped into the cheese vat where it is stirred continually and a starter culture of bacteria is added, which helps to enhance the flavour. Rennet, a coagulating enzyme, is then introduced into the ripening milk and stirred in the vat as it starts to set. The set milk is then cut into solid cubes or Curds and the liquid or Whey is drained off. At this stage the curd particles are blown into a ‘cheddaring tower’ where for 2 hours the curds are compressed into Cheddar blocks which are then cut into long finger shapes and salted. Once the curd has settled properly, the blocks are vacuum packed into plastic bags which are boxed and stored according to their grade and maturity level ready to be enjoyed by cheese lovers all over Ireland.

Mitchelstown are renowned for their full flavoured cheddar, as well as providing variety and convenience to consumers. As part of their product development they have a new grated variant for their white cheddar cheese.

Available in 200g bags, this is a perfect time saving option, allowing the addition of that extra taste of cheese without the hassle of having to grate it straight from the fridge.