Northern Ireland’s First Raw Milk Cheese

The cheese has been created by experienced cheesemaker Mike Thomson, and has been named Young Buck in order to appear “cool and unstuffy” and therefore attract younger consumers.

The cheese is an unpasteurised Stichelton, produced using the milk sourced from a single herd of award-winning Holstein-Friesian cows which have been reared on clover-rich fields in County Down.

“Ultimately, my ambition is to work on-site at a dairy farm, creating a range of unique but accessible cheese which can be sourced at specialist counters throughout the UK and Ireland.

“Feedback from sampling sessions in a leading Belfast high-end deli has been immensely encouraging.  A key objective for me will be win listings in Britain from respected specialists such as Neal’s Yard.”

“I opted for a Stichelton because I am passionate about this type of blue cheese. I had made one and developed a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system at Sparkenhoe. I had worked at Stichelton, and I loved the complexity of the flavour. I reckoned it was time to start making it in Northern Ireland.”