FDBusiness.com

Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board) has saluted the success of The Little Milk Company and Cashel Farmhouse Cheese in taking top honours at France’s premier cheese and dairy products event, the recent ‘Salon du Fromage‘ in Paris. The two artisan cheese makers won the Coup de Coeur prize which was awarded to eight exceptional cheeses, following a blind tasting test by a jury of nine chefs and cheese-mongers. The winners were selected from a total of 72 entries from 30 producers.

The “Salon” trade event showcased 190 artisan dairy producers from 12 countries. Over 6,000 buyers and visitors, primarily French, attended the event over the four days. In addition to providing market insight and logistical support, Bord Bia arranged meetings with buyers for the seven Irish companies participating at the event. All exhibitors were situated on the Ireland –Origin Green stand.

Ireland has the second largest non-French presence at the show and according to Noreen Lanigan, Bord Bia Manager for France and Belgium, there has never been a better time to introduce French buyers to Irish farmhouse cheese. “French cheesemongers now stock on average 16 foreign cheeses from their total selection of 130, representing around 10% of their turnover,” she explains. “According to new trade research, over 30% of cheese shops intend to increase their range of imported cheese. This is already translating into a significant increase in Irish artisan cheese imports to France, which have trebled since our presence at the Salon two years ago and now amount to approximately 18 tonnes per year.”