If you’ve ever thought about how cheese is made, or fancy learning how to do just that, then you’ll be delighted to hear that there are a whole slew of one-day courses available in Kilkenny to satisfy your inner cheesemaker.
I’d say there’s not a lot that Helen Finnegan doesn’t know about cheese or the cheese-making process. Starting out in 2004, the Knockdrinna Kilree cheese, then produced by Helen in Stoneyford picked up the top award (Supreme Champion) at the 2011 British Cheese Awards, beating off almost 1,000 other cheeses in the process. The same year also saw Knockdrinna claim the best semi-soft cheese and best Irish cheese categories for Kilree, the cheese ultimately ending up on the menu for the queen’s visit in 2011.
The one-day class is designed to show you how to make your own cheese at home, where you’ll learn about the basics of cheese making and maturing cheese at home. There’s also a history lesson in there, looking at how and why cheese has developed as the food it is today.
The cheese-making classes (one day) for 2024 at Knockdrinna are
- Saturday March 30
- Saturday April 27
- Saturday May 25
- Saturday June 29
- Saturday July 27 and
- Saturday 24 August
It’s safe to say that if you’re planning on booking, you’ll need a Saturday free.
Classes begin at 10.30am, breaking for a “deliciously cheesy” lunch and a glass of win, finishing at 3pm. And look, if cheese making isn’t exactly your thing but you think you could be swayed, pay a visit to Knockdrinnna.
For more details, see knockdrinna.com.
