Toby Simmonds and his Real Olive Company team not only sell the quality imports (olives, cheese etc) that are familiar at the English Market in Cork and farmers’ markets all around Ireland, but also make a range of cheeses here at Toons Bridge Dairy, using local raw cow and sheep milk. You can buy the full range of cheeses in their shop and taste them in the charming pizzeria/café too.
The range includes cow’s milk Mozzarella cheese, which is currently made using raw cows' milk from West Cork farms. They also produce Ricotta, Smoked Scamorza, Cacciocavallo, Pecorino, Halloumi and seasonal cheeses. Toby and his team use Southern Italian cheese making techniques such as pasta filata (stretched curd) to create delicious and unique cheeses.
Shop & Pizzeria/Café
Beside the Toons Bridge Dairy, Toby’s wife Jenny-Rose Clarke operates a little shop and a lovely conservatory pizzeria/café which are both open at weekends. They sell their dairy produce and other products such as fresh dips and pestos here, along with the Real Olive Company’s Mediterranean foods (olives, oils, Iberico meats etc), while also providing an outlet for other local artisan producers such as Macroom oatmeal & flour, Renanirree Mountain Man craft beer and Longueville House craft cider..
At the café, which overlooks the pretty creamery garden (where food is served in fine weather), chef Taylor Nelson - who is passionate about sourdough and fermentation - serves deliciously simple food using the ingredients they sell, as well as good coffee, organic wine and sherry. The homemade cakes and desserts are made wth organic flour, local free range eggs and creamery butter, and everything is kept simple to allow the ingredients to shine.
The Real Olive Co. contributes tapas boards, with various toppings and seasonal salads, and their own dairy produce stars in delicious mozzarella salad, ricotta cake, ice cream and the Toons Bridge cheese board. They have a wood-fired pizza oven in the garden, where Taylor makes traditional Neopolitan pizzas, using Caputo flour for the bases, and authentic toppings including freshly made Mozzarella cheese. Magic.
