Dart Mountain Dusk

Named after one of the Sperrin Mountains in Northern Ireland where the company is based, Dart Mountain Cheese makes a range of cheeses using cow and goats’ milk from local farms. Owners Julie and Kevin Hickey used to run a restaurant in Derry, but were frustrated at the lack of artisan cheesemakers in Northern Ireland, so decided to set up their own cheese business in 2010. Julie, who originally hails from Massachusetts in the US, attended courses in the UK and Ireland before the couple turned a disused farm shed into a dairy and food production unit, where they make cheese and accompaniments, including chutneys, spreads and oatcakes. Dusk was first launched in 2014 and was named in celebration of the beautiful mountain light at the end of the day outside the dairy. The curd is cut into 25mm pieces and is cooked at 50ºC. It is then moulded, pressed for 18 hours and brined. The exterior is rubbed with ash and the cheese is matured for three to six months, during which time it develops an interesting rind with a mix of yeasts and moulds.

Beneath the rind, the pale yellow paste has a firm texture and nutty and earthy flavours.

A slice of Dusk on top of black pudding is recommended by the cheesemakers, who also enjoy a dram of single malt with the cheese. Medium- to full-bodied red wines are also a good match, such as Chianti or Bordeaux.