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Cheese company celebrates 10th
Birthday
29.01.08
DONEGAL Cheese nestled
in the foothills of Lisfannon is celebrating a big
birthday. The food producer - supported by the
Health Service Executive - is ten years in operation
this year and continues to go from strength to
strength.
Its award-winning story lies in its unique paneer
cooking cheese which is a top seller among Hindu
Indians in Britain. It is made daily from the milk
of dairy herds grazing on farms in the Ludden and
Fahan areas and because it is made without rennet,
is ideal for vegetarians. |
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Just off the phone from
one of his major Hindu Sheikh buyers in England,
manager Peter Canning said his team of 14 staff
including production staff, food scientist, sales
and marketing officer and administrator, are
delighted to reach their milestone anniversary.
"We have kept our main customers in Britain and have
even added a few new local ones such as the Simple
Simon health food shops," said Peter, who is
training services manager with the HSE North West.
He commends the HSE and its predecessor, the North
Western Health Board for their "foresight" in
backing Donegal Cheese as a new social enterprise in
1998 and continuing to support it ten years on. He
also praised Donegal Creameries, from whom the
company buys its milk and which was also
instrumental in supplying plant and equipment during
the start-up phase. |
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The local company was
set up with funds from the Horizon strand of the
European Employment Initiative and was designed to
promote rural development in tandem with providing
employment and training for people with
disabilities.
"The board deserves great credit for its foresight
in supporting this project which still has a very
good future," added Peter, who is Leitrim-born but
Buncrana based for many years.
He explains the success of their unique product
which is made under licence by the Department of
Agriculture and Food.
"It contains half the fat of cheddar and
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is a great alternative
to meat. It is ideal for any meal in the day from
breakfast to dinner. It is very versatile and can be
grilled, oven-baked, pan-fried, deep-fried or served
in a curry or casserole."
Based at the Lisfannon Business Park, Donegal Cheese
forged its enviable position as a major supplier to
an important niche British market with the help of
Teagasc - the agricultural advisory agency. They
were discovered when they showcased their product at
the prestigious food fair in the National Exhibition
Centre (NEC), Birmingham. The company's export
market now has two strands and includes the supply
of 250g blocks of cheese direct to Britain's ethnic
stores and supermarkets as well as the supply of 3k
blocks to Indian food distributors, who produce
popular dishes from the delicious product.
So what next for Donegal Cheese? Plans to produce
fromage frais and yoghurt is funding-dependent but
still remains on the company to-do list. Meanwhile,
Donegal Cheese has joined the European 'Happy Farms'
initiative to help similar social enterprises get
off the ground in former eastern bloc countries such
as Romania and Slovenia. In the meantime, the team
will be ‘saying cheese’ plenty of times in the
coming weeks as the cameras capture their
anniversary joy. |
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