Kerrygold

Kerrygold is an Irish dairy brand owned by Ornua Co-operative Limited, a co-operative of the Irish dairy industry based in Dublin. The brand is best known for butter, but it also covers a range of cheeses.

Ornua grew out of An Bord Bainne, the Irish Dairy Board, set up on 17 May 1961 to develop exports of milk products. The name Kerrygold was chosen in 1962 and the brand was launched first in the UK, not Ireland; it went on sale in Ireland in 1973. Kerrygold cheese reached the US in 1991, and Kerrygold Dubliner was launched there in 1998. In 1997 the Irish Dairy Board bought the British company North Downs Dairy and with it the Pilgrims Choice brand.

Kerrygold cheeses are made from pasteurized milk of cows that graze Irish pastures for much of the year. The main ranges on the official website are Kerrygold Dubliner, an aged hard cheese with a sweet, nutty taste; Kerrygold Cheddar, aged cheddar including Reserve with an extra year of ageing; Kerrygold Skellig, a creamy, full-flavoured cheddar; Kerrygold Blarney Castle, a mild Gouda-style cheese; and Kerrygold cream cheese.

The hard cheeses suit a cheese board with crackers, ale or red wine, and are grated into bakes and sauces or melted in toasted sandwiches.

Why it matters to you: Kerrygold is a brand, not a type of cheese; check the cheese name on the pack (Dubliner, cheddar, Blarney) and how long it was aged.