Gubbeen is made at a 250 acre coastal farm in West Cork, one mile from the Irish fishing Village of Schull. It’s been made here by Tom and Giana Ferguson since 1979! With the Atlantic Ocean bordering one boundary, and Mount Gabriel to the north as a backdrop behind the land, sheltering the pasture that has always supported the Gubbeen herd. A family of farmers turned cheesemakers put a lot of passion and experience into this wonderful cheese. The cattle that produce the milk for the cheese are carefully hand-reared and are fed on entirely organic feed.
Gubbeen is a surface-ripened, semi-firm, washed-rind cow’s milk cheese with a pink and white rind. The flavours are creamy, with notes of wild mushrooms and toasted almonds that vary depending on the maturity of the cheese.
The cheese is developed in curing rooms where the rind is washed daily. The washing gives rise to the distinctive surface bloom and develops the characteristic flavours. The cheese develops deeper flavours as it matures. This cheese is lovely eaten as it is, with sweet pickled items like baby cornichons, but is also great melted over cooked jersey royals.
A whole wheel of this cheese weighs approx 1.5kg.
