Fivemiletown Creamery
Encyclopedia
Fivemiletown Creamery is based in Fivemiletown
, County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
and is a producer of handmade speciality soft cheese
s and cheddars
The company is a farmers' co-operative, and employs around 75 people. The creamery draws its milk supplies mostly from around 60 dairy farmers in the Clogher
Valley. The company was founded in 1898 and added cheese production in 1972.
formed into small balls, and marinated in sunflower oil flavoured with herbs and garlic. The cheese is produced at Ryefield Farm located beside Lough Ramor
near Virginia, County Cavan
. In 2007, Fivemiltown Creamery acquired Ryefield Farm and continues to produce the cheese under the Boilie label. There are two varieties, Boilie Irish Cheese Pearls made from cow's milk milk and Boilie Irish Goat's Cheese made from goat's milk. Both cheeses are made using the same techniques.
In 1973, John and Anne Brodie purchased 85 acres (343,983.1 m²) of farmland and started with just two cows. In 1984, Anne began by producing a Cheddar cheese
and sold it at a market stall in Dublin and some select shops including the supermarket chain Superquinn
. In 1992, Anne introduced fresh soft cheese, handrolled into small balls and marinated in sunflower oil, through the Superquinn
chain. Initially, no brand name was associated with the product, but eventually it was decided to name the product after a road near their farm called Boilie Road. Later the name "Boilie" was discovered to mean "milking place". In 2007, Ryefield Farm was acquired by Fivemiletown Creamery.
to reduce the environmental carbon footprint
of the business and to decrease pollution and waste produced.
Fivemiletown also achieved a British Retail Consortium
Accreditation of Grade A. The company are the first food business in Northern Ireland to achieve the Red Tractor, Assured Dairy Farm quality mark, following an extensive and independent audit of its milk suppliers.
Their cheeses have won awards at the Great Taste Awards, British Cheese Awards and the Nantwich International Cheese Awards
. In November 2010, Fivemiletown was named as Best Small Supplier 2010 by Sainsbury's for supply of speciality cheeses.
Fivemiletown
Fivemiletown is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is 16 miles east of Enniskillen and 26 miles west-south-west of Dungannon, on the A4 Enniskillen-to-Dungannon road. Its population as of 2009 is estimated to be 1,128. The village is most famous for its creamery, which...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and is a producer of handmade speciality soft cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
s and cheddars
Cheddar cheese
Cheddar cheese is a relatively hard, yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese, produced in several countries around the world. It has its origins in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset....
The company is a farmers' co-operative, and employs around 75 people. The creamery draws its milk supplies mostly from around 60 dairy farmers in the Clogher
Clogher
Clogher is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Blackwater, south of Omagh. The United Kingdom Census of 2001 recorded a population of 309.-History:...
Valley. The company was founded in 1898 and added cheese production in 1972.
Products
The range consists of a number of award-winning soft cheeses:- Ballybrie - an Irish brie
- Ballyoak - the first smoked BrieBrieBrie is a historic region of France most famous for its dairy products, especially Brie cheese. It was once divided into two sections ruled by different feudal lords: the western Brie française, corresponding roughly to the modern department of Seine-et-Marne in the Île-de-France region; the...
in Europe - Ballyblue - reputed to be the first blue cheeseBlue cheeseBlue cheese is a general classification of cow's milk, sheep's milk, or goat's milk cheeses that have had cultures of the mold Penicillium added so that the final product is spotted or veined throughout with blue, blue-gray or blue-green mold, and carries a distinct smell, either from that or...
to be developed in Ireland. - Boilie - a range of soft cream cheeses formed into small balls, and marinated in sunflower oil flavoured with herbs and garlic
- Cooneen - a soft goats cheese made with milk from a local producer.
- Oakwood - smoked cheddar using wood chips from sustainably foraged local oak logs
- O'Reilly's - a range of flavoured goat's cheese
- Fivemiletown Cheddar - a range of cheddar cheese ranging from mild to extra mature
Boilie Cheese
Boilie cheese is a soft cream cheeseCream cheese
Cream cheese is a soft, mild-tasting, white cheese with a high fat content. Traditionally, it is made from unskimmed milk enriched with additional cream....
formed into small balls, and marinated in sunflower oil flavoured with herbs and garlic. The cheese is produced at Ryefield Farm located beside Lough Ramor
Lough Ramor
Lough Ramor is a large natural lake of 741 hectares situated near Virginia, County Cavan. From early records Vita Tripartita identified as being in the territory of Cenal Muinreamhair. The literal meaning of the term Muinreamhair is 'fat-neck' and appears to be derived from a prehistoric or...
near Virginia, County Cavan
Virginia, County Cavan
Virginia is a small town of 3,939 inhabitants in County Cavan, Ireland. It was founded at Aghanure during the Plantation of Ulster and was named Virginia after Queen Elizabeth I of England....
. In 2007, Fivemiltown Creamery acquired Ryefield Farm and continues to produce the cheese under the Boilie label. There are two varieties, Boilie Irish Cheese Pearls made from cow's milk milk and Boilie Irish Goat's Cheese made from goat's milk. Both cheeses are made using the same techniques.
In 1973, John and Anne Brodie purchased 85 acres (343,983.1 m²) of farmland and started with just two cows. In 1984, Anne began by producing a Cheddar cheese
Cheddar cheese
Cheddar cheese is a relatively hard, yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese, produced in several countries around the world. It has its origins in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset....
and sold it at a market stall in Dublin and some select shops including the supermarket chain Superquinn
Superquinn
Superquinn is an Irish supermarket chain. Until 2005, the company was entirely privately held by the Quinn family. It is now a subsidiary of Select Retail Holdings Limited....
. In 1992, Anne introduced fresh soft cheese, handrolled into small balls and marinated in sunflower oil, through the Superquinn
Superquinn
Superquinn is an Irish supermarket chain. Until 2005, the company was entirely privately held by the Quinn family. It is now a subsidiary of Select Retail Holdings Limited....
chain. Initially, no brand name was associated with the product, but eventually it was decided to name the product after a road near their farm called Boilie Road. Later the name "Boilie" was discovered to mean "milking place". In 2007, Ryefield Farm was acquired by Fivemiletown Creamery.
Description
The cheese is made by slowly heating the milk until pasteurized, storing in small vats and a curd is formed at the top. The curd is left to drain in muslin bags, and then mildly salted and formed into orbs. After the cheese has been formed into orbs, it is placed in jars and the marinade is added. The product is fully natural with no preservatives, and fully vegetarian.Awards
In early 2010, Fivemiletown was awarded the International ISO 14001 Environmental Standard, one of only a small number of Northern Ireland companies to have achieved the standard by implementing an environmental management systemEnvironmental Management System
Environmental management system refers to the management of an organization's environmental programs in a comprehensive, systematic, planned and documented manner....
to reduce the environmental carbon footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...
of the business and to decrease pollution and waste produced.
Fivemiletown also achieved a British Retail Consortium
British Retail Consortium
The British Retail Consortium is one of the leading trade associations in the United Kingdom. They represent all forms of retailers from small, independently owned stores, to big chain stores and department stores...
Accreditation of Grade A. The company are the first food business in Northern Ireland to achieve the Red Tractor, Assured Dairy Farm quality mark, following an extensive and independent audit of its milk suppliers.
Their cheeses have won awards at the Great Taste Awards, British Cheese Awards and the Nantwich International Cheese Awards
International Cheese Awards
The International Cheese Awards is a cheese show and competition held each year at Dorfold Park in Nantwich, England. It represents the most important cheese events in the UK and one of the most important events on the global level...
. In November 2010, Fivemiletown was named as Best Small Supplier 2010 by Sainsbury's for supply of speciality cheeses.
External links
- http://www.fivemiletown.com/
- http://www.great-british-cheeses.com/northern-ireland/fivemiletown-creamery