Description
Cashel Blue Cheese
About Cashel Blue
Cashel Blue is a bit of a trailblazer. Created by Jane and Louis Grubb on their farm in County Tipperary in 1984, it was one of Ireland’s first farmhouse blue cheeses and helped pave the way for the brilliant Irish artisan cheese scene we know today.
At the time, Ireland had an extraordinary dairy tradition but relatively little farmhouse cheesemaking. The Grubbs decided to change that, creating a blue cheese from cow’s milk that was very different from the famous blues of France, Italy and Britain.
The result was Cashel Blue: creamy, buttery and gently blue when young, becoming richer, more savoury and more characterful as it matures. More than forty years later, it is still made by the family and has become one of Ireland’s best-known artisan cheeses.
A Modern Irish Cheese Pioneer
Cashel Blue is made near Fethard in County Tipperary, in an area known as the Golden Vale — one of Ireland’s great dairy farming regions.
When Jane and Louis Grubb began making cheese in the 1980s, there wasn’t a long-established Irish farmhouse blue tradition for them to follow. They were creating something new, learning and adapting as they went.
I think that’s an important part of Cashel’s story. We often associate great cheese with traditions stretching back hundreds of years, but somebody has to make the first one. What was experimental in 1984 has since become an Irish classic.
Today the next generation of the family is involved in the business, continuing something that started with a farmhouse, some good milk and a determination to make a cheese Ireland hadn’t really made before.
Blue at Its Own Pace
Cashel Blue is made from cow’s milk with Penicillium roqueforti, the blue mould responsible for developing those familiar blue-green veins.
One of the lovely things about Cashel is how much it changes as it matures. Younger cheeses are firmer, creamier and gentler, with relatively delicate blue flavours. Given more time, the texture softens and the blue character becomes richer, saltier and more savoury.
That means two pieces of Cashel can give you quite different experiences depending on their age. Personally, I think that’s part of the fun — cheese isn’t supposed to stand still.
Cashel Blue – Jen’s Tasting Notes
Cashel Blue has a lovely soft, creamy texture with just enough crumble to remind you that you’re eating a proper blue cheese.
When it’s younger, I find lots of sweet cream and butter, with a gentle tang and delicate blue spice. The saltiness is there, but it doesn’t dominate, which is why Cashel is such a good cheese for people who are still a little nervous about blue.
As it matures, things get more interesting. The texture becomes softer and the flavours deepen, with more savoury, earthy notes coming through alongside the blue.
What I particularly like is that balance between sweet, creamy milk and salty, savoury blue. Neither completely takes over, which makes Cashel incredibly easy to keep eating.
How to Serve and Pair Cashel Blue
- Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
- Classic pairings: Try Cashel Blue with a fresh, fruity white wine. Sauvignon Blanc works particularly well, with enough acidity to cut through the creaminess and plenty of fruit to balance the salty blue.
- Something a little different: Sloe gin is a brilliant match. The sweet berry fruit works beautifully with the creamy cheese and gentle blue spice.
- On the plate: I love Cashel with fresh pear, a drizzle of honey and some toasted hazelnuts. It’s also surprisingly good alongside prosciutto or smoked ham if you fancy taking the cheeseboard in a more savoury direction.
- In the kitchen: Crumble it into a salad, melt it into a sauce for pasta or steak, or stir it through mashed potato. Cashel gives you plenty of blue cheese flavour without completely taking over the dish.
Jen’s note: I once asked Sarah Furno — Cashel’s co-owner and daughter of Jane and Louis Grubb — why Cashel Blue is the size it is. Her answer? A drainpipe! When her parents first started making the cheese they didn’t have all the proper kit, so they used a clean piece of drainpipe as a mould. The cheese has been that size ever since. I absolutely love stories like that.
Buying Cashel Blue
- Brand or Producer: Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers
- Product name: Cashel Blue
- Milk: Cow
- Country: Ireland
- Region: County Tipperary
- Strength: Medium
- Vegetarian: Yes
- Suitable for pregnancy: No
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- 100g wedge, £3.10
- 500g wedge, £15.50
- Whole wheel (approx. 800g), available to pre-order
Storage Advice
- Keep refrigerated
- Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
- Remove from the fridge before serving
- Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening
Delivery and Collection
- UK wide courier delivery
- Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
- Free local delivery available for selected postcodes
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, salt, starter cultures, rennet, Penicillium Roqueforti
