Toonsbridge Dairy and The Real Olive Company

Toonsbridge and the real olive company is a family-run dairy based in West Cork. They work with unpasteurised buffalo, sheep and cows milk to make cheeses informed by the traditions of the Southern Mediterranean. They have spent many weeks and months travelling between dairies in Italy, Spain and Greece learning and perfecting the traditional methods used to create these unique cheeses but it is the milk we work that gives their cheeses their provenance. They have our own herd of Italian Water Buffalo brought from Italy that graze on our farms in West Cork, in the lush Toon Valley and on The Wild Atlantic Way. The animals can graze openly on grass pastures almost year-round yielding a rich and creamy milk that responds incredibly well to our cheese-making methods.

Kate Ryan is a food writer and founder of Flavour.ie, a platform dedicated to promoting Irish Food through writing, events, and tours. She is a judge for Blas na hEireann and the Irish Quality Food Awards and is a Member and Secretary of the Irish Food Writers Guild.

Design POP is supported by Backwater Artists Group, Cork Printmakers and the Lavit Gallery through the Arts Council of Ireland's In The Open – Faoin Spéir award: A curated programme of multi-disciplinary, inclusive arts activities in community outdoor spaces running from July 2021-April 2022.