Hegarty's Cheese facts for kids

Hegarty's Cheese is a company in Ireland that makes delicious cheese from cow's milk. They are located in a place called Whitechurch, County Cork. The company was started in 2001 by two brothers, Dan and John Hegarty, right on their family farm. Later, in 2016, a cheesemaker from France named Jean-Baptiste Enjelvin joined their team.

Meet the Cheeses!

Hegarty's Cheese makes three main types of cheese. Each one has its own special flavor and way of being made.

• Hegarty's Cheddar

This was the very first cheese the Hegarty brothers made on their farm. It's a classic cheddar cheese, made using traditional methods. The milk used for this cheese is pasteurized, which means it's heated to make sure it's safe and clean.

• Templegall

Templegall is a special cheese that's made in a style similar to Swiss cheeses, like the famous Comté cheese. It's made from raw milk, which means the milk isn't heated before cheesemaking. This cheese has won many important awards because it tastes so good!

• Hegarty's Smoked Cheddar

This cheese starts out as the same Hegarty's Cheddar. But then, it gets a special treatment! It's naturally smoked using beechwood. This smoking process gives the cheese a really strong and unique flavor that many people love.

Winning Awards!

Hegarty's Cheese, especially their Templegall cheese, has won some amazing awards! These awards show how much judges appreciate their hard work and delicious cheese.

• In 2019, Templegall won a gold medal at the Irish Cheese Awards. It was recognized as the best in the "Raw Milk" category.
• In 2021, Templegall won an even bigger award: the "Supreme Champion" at the Irish Cheese Awards! This means it was chosen as the very best cheese overall. It also won more gold medals in the "Mature Hard Cheese" and "Raw Milk Cheese" categories that year.