New Smoked Triple Cream Cheese from Ballylisk of Armagh

Cheese innovators Ballylisk of Armagh has introduced a delicious smoked version of its hugely popular Triple Rose, a unique triple cream cheese that's won widespread acclaim here, in the Republic of Ireland and in Great Britain.

The new cheese - the first smoked soft cheese produced in Northern Ireland since the 1970s - is sourced again from Ballylisk's own pedigree Friesian herd and is smoked slowly over beechwood at the company's processing plant.

Food NI member Ballylisk intends to substitute apple wood for beech shortly, which will also reflect the company's commitment to source from suppliers in Armagh.

The new cheese joins the original and very successful Triple Rose triple cream cheese. The cheese has recently been listed by the iconic Fortnum and Mason department store in London's Piccadilly. It is seen understandably by the entrepreneurial brothers as a "huge endorsement of the quality and taste of the product".

Triple Rose from Ballylisk of Armagh, was launched in 2017, based on the 200-acre family farm at Tandragee.

The family has been farming in the Ballylisk area of Armagh since 1820. They have one of the most highly regarded pedigree herds in Ireland. The cheese is processed at their state-of-the-art creamery in Portadown, which is centre of new product development. In addition to the original Triple Rose and the new smoked cheese, Ballylisk has developed an Armagh cider washed variety. This has also won widespread acclaim.

"We've been working on a number of soft cream cheeses in addition to those already introduced and to meet market opportunities that we've identified over the past few months," says Mark.

The diversification into cheese production in 2015 followed an extensive period of market research to identify new business opportunities.

Ballylisk is the only artisan cheesemaker in Northern Ireland with its own milk pool. Triple Rose cheese is now stocked in restaurants, delis and farm shops across Northern Ireland. They also secured business at Borough Market with a specialist cheese retailer. Export business has also been secured in Portugal with a leading supermarket operation and hotel chain.

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