I see that Templegall from Hegarty Cheese in Co Cork has been named best Irish cheese at the British and Irish Cheese Awards 2026.

Named after the Irish for the village of Whitechurch (An Teampall Geal’) in north Co Cork where the cheese is produced, Templegall is made by the Hegarty family, with the expertise of French cheesemaker, Jean-Baptiste Enjelvin. Templegall came up against stiff competition as there was a record number of Irish entries into this year’s competition.

I’m told there is a growing renaissance for Irish cheese in the UK, a decade after Brexit which saw a lot of Irish cheeses disappear from British shelves.

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This win has put Templegall firmly on the map, and not just for those who previously got lost looking for it.