Specialty Cheeses

Gubbeen has been made by the Fergusons at the 250 acre Gubbeen Farm in West County Cork for almost 40 years now.  Tom looks after a herd that includes numerous Kerry cows, a rare black breed that ranks among the world’s oldest.  The cattle enjoy warm Gulf Stream winds and a certified GMO-free diet.

Tom’s wife Giana makes the cheese, washing it in both salt water and white wine.  It is made with three different cultures, including one (Microbacterium gubbeenese) that was undiscovered before the cheese’s existence.  Gubbeen has an orange-golden exterior and a springy pale-ivory paste.  It is earthy in nature, tasting of mushroom and peat, and would melt beautifully over potatoes.