Mayo's Velvet Cloud wins at CÁIS Irish Cheese Awards

MAYO farmhouse cheesemaker Velvet Cloud was honoured at the 2024 Irish Cheese Awards during a prestigious ceremony hosted by CÁIS, the Association of Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers.

The Claremorris-based cheesemaker took home the award for ‘Best New Cheese’.

The biennial celebration of Ireland’s farmhouse cheesemakers, now in its tenth year, named winners across 17 distinct categories, with one supreme champion following a rigorous judging process undertaken by a high calibre panel of Irish and international cheese experts at Teagasc’s Ashtown Food Research Centre last month.

Each cheese was individually scored on aroma, flavour, body, texture and overall appearance.

Velvet Cloud’s ‘Cloonbook’ cheese fought off stiff competition from across the country to take home the title of ‘Best New Cheese’.

Produced in Claremorris on their farm by husband and wife team Michael and Aisling Flanagan - who are best known for their Velvet Cloud branded sheep’s milk yogurts and cheeses - ‘Cloonbook’ is a semi-hard mild and deliciously creamy limited edition cow’s milk cheese with milky, buttery undertones that is matured for a minimum of 10 weeks.

It is made in small batches using fresh creamy milk from Michael’s uncle Micheál Waldron's farm in the townland of Cloonbook, where much of Michael’s childhood was spent.

These days the farm, which has been in the Waldron family for generations and is also where Michael's mother, Mary, was born and raised, is run by Micheál’s son, Domhnall.

These fond memories and deep-rooted family history are the reasons why the Flanagans decided that ‘Cloonbook’ was a fitting name for their cheese, which they launched in 2022.

Velvet Cloud’s award-winning cheese is available to purchase online via their website, https://velvetcloud.ie/, and from leading retailers and independent food stores.