Triskel Goats Cheese

Triskel Cheeses are hand-ladled French-style soft goats cheeses and a semi-hard cow’s cheese, made by Breton woman Anna Leveque in a small production unit at her home in Portlaw, Co Waterford, using locally sourced milk. Recently recognised by Euro-Toques in their 2012 EirGrid/Euro-Toques Food Awards, the Triskel cheeses are already popular with discerning chefs and were nominated by Euro-Toques chef Michael Quinn, of Waterford Castle Hotel. Anna’s partner is Philip Little, an apple farmer from Portlaw, and to everybody’s delight they introduced their 10 day old first baby, Lucie, to Ireland’s most enthusiastic foodie community by bringing her along to the awards.

There are three Triskel Goats cheeses (Pyramid, Crottin and Bouche), all made from milk sourced from a goat farm in Camolin, Co. Wexford, and the curds are hand-ladled into the moulds in the typical French way. Anna also produces a semi-hard cow’s cheese, Gwenned, using milk sourced locally in Kilmeaden.

Euro-toques recognised Triskel Cheeses as “a unique style in the Irish cheese repertoire, both subtle and distinctive in taste and of excellent quality” and singled it out as “an outstanding Irish product, handmade using traditional methods and locally sourced raw materials”.

Anna spent much of her youth on her grandparents’ dairy farm in Brittany and went on to study agriculture in France. During her studies she worked on job placement for six months with Teagasc in Kildalton College and returned to work there when her studies were completed. During this time she had the chance to work with many Irish goat farmers and later she also spent time with a number of Irish cheesemakers. Finally, in 2009, her longterm interest in and passion for dairying and cheese-making culminated in her setting up her own production unit.

After much experimentation Triskel Cheese was born, and Anna’s wonderful range of French style soft goats cheeses is now available to both chefs (via La Rousse Foods and Sheridans) and consumers, who can buy from Sheridans outlets, including Ardkeen Stores; in the English Market at On the Pig’s Back; and in Ballymaloe Cookery School shop. It is also available at Farmer’s Markets in Midleton, Mahon Point, Kinsale, Mallow and Douglas.