J&L Grubb was set up by Jane and Louis Grubb in 1984 at their farm in Beechmount, near Fethard, South Tipperary. Jane originally experimented in an old copper brewer's vat before settling on the recipe for their first cheese, Cashel Blue.

Cashel Blue

Cashel Blue is a hand-made, semi-soft, mildly blue veined and slightly acidic blue cheese

Blue cheese

Blue cheese is a general classification of cow's milk, sheep's milk, or goat's milk cheeses that have had cultures of the mold Penicillium added so that the final product is spotted or veined throughout with blue, blue-gray or blue-green mold, and carries a distinct smell, either from that or...

 with a creamy texture, made from cows milk. Over half the milk used in the production of Cashel Blue comes from their own farm, with the rest sourced from farms located nearby. The cheese was named after the Rock of Cashel

Rock of Cashel

The Rock of Cashel , also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock, is a historic site in Ireland's province of Munster, located at Cashel, South Tipperary.-History:...

 overlooking the pastures close to the farm. It has large blue flecks, made by the action of Penicillium roqueforti

Penicillium roqueforti

Penicillium roqueforti is a common saprotrophic fungus from the family Trichocomaceae. Widespread in nature, it can be isolated from soil, decaying organic matter, and plants. The major industrial use of this fungus is the production of blue cheeses, flavouring agents, antifungals, polysaccharides,...

, the same fungus used in Roquefort

Roquefort (cheese)

Roquefort , sometimes spelled Rochefort in English, is a sheep milk blue cheese from the south of France, and together with Bleu d'Auvergne, Stilton and Gorgonzola is one of the world's best-known blue cheeses...

, Stilton

Stilton (cheese)

Stilton is a type of English cheese, known for its characteristic strong smell and taste. It is produced in two varieties: the well-known blue and the lesser-known white. Both have been granted the status of a protected designation of origin by the European Commission, together one of only...

 and other blue cheeses.

Crozier Blue

Crozier Blue is a hand-made, semi-soft, blue veined, medium-strength blue cheese

Blue cheese

Blue cheese is a general classification of cow's milk, sheep's milk, or goat's milk cheeses that have had cultures of the mold Penicillium added so that the final product is spotted or veined throughout with blue, blue-gray or blue-green mold, and carries a distinct smell, either from that or...

 with a creamy texture. Made in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, this is one of the country's few blue cheeses, made from sheep's milk

Milk

Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...

. It is made on the farm of Jane and Louis Grubb by their daughter Sarah Furno. Crozier Blue is a more recent creation from the farm which produces a sister cheese Cashel Blue cheese made using from cow's milk .

Awards

Cashel Blue is widely acclaimed and has won numerous awards. The highlights are:

• 1993: First (Blue Cheese Class ) Royal Dublin Society Farmhouse Cheese Competition
• 1998: Silver, Ireland’s International Cheese Awards
• 2000: Gold, British Cheese Awards
• 2001: Gold, World Cheese Awards
• 2002: Bronze, World Cheese Awards
• 2004: Bronze, British Cheese Awards
• 2004: Gold, Listowel Food Fair, National Farmhouse Cheese Competition (Ireland)
• 2005 Bronze British Cheese Awards
• 2006 Gold, World Cheese Awards
• 2010 Gold, World Cheese Awards

Crozier Blue has won many prestigious awards, the highlights being:

• 2003: Gold, British Cheese Awards
• 2003: Gold, World Cheese Awards