Meet the Cheesemakers: Tom Burgess Coolattin Cheddar

Join us on Saturday 5th July at 3pm for a farm walk, tour, and tasting with Tom Burgess of Coolattin Cheddar, as part of our Meet the Cheesemakers series, proudly supported by Sheridans Cheesemongers Ltd.

For over 20 years, Tom has been producing high-quality milk from his pasture-fed cows in West Wicklow. Determined to create a cheese that reflected the richness of this milk, Tom developed Coolattin Cheddar — a raw milk cheese crafted the very same day the cows are milked, staying true to his ethos: "Pasture to Cheddar the same day."

What makes this cheese unique is not only the clover-rich summer pasture the cows graze on, but the use of early morning milk, naturally high in melatonin. The milk is pumped directly to the cheese vat — unpasteurised and unprocessed — preserving its full natural flavour.

Using a traditional method, the milk is gently transformed:
Curd is cut, scalded, drained and pitched, milled and salted by hand, before being pressed in 40lb moulds for two days. The cheese is then matured for over a year at 10°C, developing a full flavour that slowly evolves from sweet, fruity notes to a nutty, savoury finish.

This immersive event will include a guided farm walk, a visit to the maturing rooms, and a tasting led by Tom himself — an opportunity to experience the entire journey from land to cheese.

Whether you’re a food lover, chef, producer or simply curious about the story behind your cheese, this is a rare chance to engage directly with one of Ireland’s most thoughtful cheesemakers in the scenic setting of Knockeen House.