Information Density: Sheridans Cheesemongers – Signal Evidence & AI Readability

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Italian Month!
[H2] Italian Month!
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[H4] Gifting
Not sure what to get your favorite foodie? Check out some of our fun gift ideas
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[H4] Cheesecakes
Stunning cheese towers for your special day. We love cheese cakes for weddings, birthdays, or any get together!
[H4] Cheese Selections
Shop some of our favourite Sheridans cheeses & accompaniment combinations
[H4] Virtual Classes
Sheridans cheese & wine tastings in the comfort of your own home!
[H4] Recipe Ideas
Recipes packed with Sheridans cheeses & artisanal foods!
[H4] Accompaniments
Chutneys, Honeys and Crackers for your cheeses!
[H4] Sheridans Wine
Shop our range of fabulous wines & drinks from across Europe
[H2] Best Sellers
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[IMG: St Marcellin 100g]
[H4] St Marcellin 100g
Butter & Fresh, Cheese, French Cheese Sale, Soft€5.40Add to BagQuick View
[IMG: Organic Cow]
[H4] Organic Cow's Milk Gouda 150g
Cheese, Firm, Organic, Pasteurised, Vegetarian€6.00Add to BagQuick View
[IMG: Organic Cow Gouda With Nettle & Onion 150g]
[H4] Organic Cow Gouda With Nettle & Onion 150g
Cheese, Firm, Organic, Pasteurised, Vegetarian€6.00Add to BagQuick View
[IMG: Organic Cow Gouda With Chilli 150g]
[H4] Organic Cow Gouda With Chilli 150g
Cheese, Firm, Organic, Pasteurised, Vegetarian€6.00Add to Bag
[H4] Cheese Serving & Care
The How-To’s on your cheese serving, storage and many other frequently asked questions
[H4] Our Locations
Find your nearest Sheridans location
[IMG: Our Locations]
[H4] Sheridans Irish Food Festival
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Home Support

Frequently Asked Questions
[H2] Cheese Care
Q How do I store my cheese?A
Cheese should be stored in a cool place: Harder cheeses at about 10 °C (your porch, if you have one, can be a great place during the winter months). For softer and blue cheeses 4°C is ideal. A good compromise is to store all your cheese in the vegetable compartment of your fridge, usually at around 4.5°C. It can be stored in its original wrapper. If you are removing portions, you can re-wrap in greaseproof, cheese paper or our Sheridans Millbee Wax Wraps. Clingfilm is fine for harder cheeses but can impart a plastic flavour over time.
Q How Long Will My Cheese Last?A
Best before and use by dates should be respected, although it is very difficult for the cheesemaker to determine the exact date when a cheese will no longer be of the best quality. Taste and smell are always your best tools to ascertain whether a cheese is good to eat! As mentioned above yeasts and moulds are to be expected, so you can scrape any that form  on the cheese off, if you wish……
Q My Cheese has Mould On It! What Do I Do?A
Frequently, cheeses that start to grow mould while aging, in storage, or during transit can be salvaged and are safe to consume.  In the case of blue/white mould that has begun to form, it can be scraped off with regular dinner knife or back of chef knife, and bloomy rind cheeses often begin to re-rind themselves on the cut surface which can just be cut off or eaten.
Spoiled cheese has some key indicators – if you get an ammonia/sour smell or taste then it goes in the bin.
Fresh, high moisture, young cheeses (think mozzarella/ricotta/mascarpone/cream cheese) that have mould growing should be discarded immediately.
Moulds that show up with black or reddish hue should be discarded.
Our primary aim is to provide delicious, quality, safe cheeses to our Sheridans customers however cheese is a living thing with an agenda of its own. If you believe your cheese (or other food item) has spoiled, please contact us immediate at online@sheridanscheesemongers.com for a replacement or refund.
Q My Cheddar has Blue In It!?!A
Cheeses like cheddars that have more open texture pastes where the curd is not heavily compacted during the cheesemaking process can have occasional blue veining. Though this blueing is caused by unintentional rouge pencillium genus mould that has found its way into the cheese, it is often sought after for its contributing flavour.
Q What do we do with the cheese once we have received it?A
Cheese should be unpacked and stored in a cool place, ideally around 5 degrees. Take out about an hour before serving, and allow to come to room temperature. Leaving cheese come up to room temperature (“to chambre”) allows it to develop a fuller, more aromatic flavour. Beware temperatures that are too warm (hot kitchen) and try and let the cheese come up to temperature in a relatively cool place like a cool pantry. Harder cheeses can need a little more time than softer ones.
[H2] Cheese Club
Q When will I get my cheese club?A
We deliver cheese club on the second Thursday of each month.
Q How does cheese club work?A
Each month Kevin Sheridan specially selects four to five cheeses to be included in the month’s Cheese Club. We provide around 200g of each cheese and always ensure at least some of them will last well. Kevin selects the cheeses according to a particular theme based on style, season or production area. For most months this involves bringing in some cheeses which have never been available in Ireland before, often rare or unusual. Kevin writes the Cheese Club notes which accompanies the cheeses explaining the theme along with detailed information about each cheese.
[H2] Cheese General Information
Q Can I Eat Cheese if I’m Lactose Intolerant?A
Know anyone who doesn't eat cheese due to lactose intolerance? Or perhaps you yourself have to turn down cheese because of a lactose allergy? What you probably don't know is that lactose intolerance should NOT affect cheese consumption. You may actually be suffering from something else!
Surprisingly, most cheeses don't contain lactose! What's happening when milk turns to cheese is a souring process called acidification, whereby the lactose in milk is converted into lactic acid. This is the magical fermentation process in cheesemaking, when a sugar — in this case, milk sugar, or lactose — is converted into something else — in this case, lactic acid, which happens to be an entirely different entity from lactose. By the time a cheese is made, most or all of the lactose present in the milk no longer remains.
The longer that milk is left to sour, the greater the opportunity for all of that lactose to dissipate into lactic acid. A longer period of acidification allows the protein chains to form even stronger bonds, which will result in a firmer curd — and ultimately a firmer cheese that can age longer. Therefore, it's the harder, drier, and more aged cheeses that will be the safest to eat if you're lactose intolerant. Fresher cheeses that are higher in moisture may retain a small amount of lactose because the milk has not been left to ferment completely. People who are lactose intolerant may have issues with fresher styles.
If you don't really know if you're lactose intolerant, try eating a hard cheese like parmesan, which has virtually no residual lactose. No good? What you probably have then is a MILK allergy, in which case all types of cheese will give you problems. But if harder, (virtually lactose-free) cheeses are okay but you still have issues with fresher, high-moisture cheeses plus yogurt, ice cream, and other dairy products, then it's probably safe to say that you are indeed lactose intolerant.
Lactose intolerance and dairy allergies are two different topics. The former consists of intolerance for milk sugars (lactose), while the latter implies a negative reaction to the proteins in milk and milk products. Unfortunately, those with dairy allergies are SOL, but there is hope for people suffering from lactose intolerance. In fact, almost all of us have a little trouble with lactose.
If you are lactose intolerant you can eat some cheeses, but beware. Not all cheeses are created equal and some do retain much of their original lactose. If you are to embark on a new painless cheese lifestyle, you’ll have to follow a couple guidelines.
The Rules
Experiment on yourself!
But first, buy some Lactaid, just to be safe.
Avoid fresh cheeses
Most young cheeses, like mozzarella, have a high moisture content and retain a lot of whey, and therefore lactose. However, there are a few fresh cheeses, such as quark, that are made with cultured milk, which you might be able to stomach.
Start with older cheeses
Start with one ounce of a semi-firm cheese that’s at least 60 days old, such as young gouda, and see how you feel. If you feel discomfort, try an even older cheese. If all goes well, maybe go a little younger. Ask your local cheesemonger for help on gauging cheese ages.
Eat raw cheeses
Unpasteurized cheeses have more digestive enzymes than pasteurized, which of course means easier digestion
Try avoiding cow milk cheese
Some people have issues digesting cow milk, because the fat globules are harder to break down than the milk of other livestock animals. Try older sheep and goat milk cheese instead.
Q Can I Eat Cheese if I’m Pregnant?A
You can eat some cheeses when you're pregnant, and cheese is great source of calcium. However, some cheeses are not safe to eat. Unsafe cheeses are more likely to grow bacteria such as listeria, which can harm your unborn baby. Please always consult your doctor for advice on dietary practice during pregnancy.
These cheeses are not safe for you while you're pregnant:
· Soft, mould-ripened cheeses, such as brie, camembert and chevre (a type of goat's cheese).
· Blue-veined cheeses, such as danish blue and stilton.
Even if these cheeses are pasteurised, they still aren't safe to eat. That's because they are more moist and less acidic than other cheeses. It's this moistness and acidity which provide the perfect environment for listeria bacteria to grow. If you become infected with listeria, you can get an illness called listeriosis. This causes flu-like symptoms that develop several weeks after you've been exposed to the bacteria. Even though listeriosis a fairly mild illness for you, it can cause serious health problems for your baby. It can even lead to miscarriage, or the loss of a baby at birth. However, you can eat these cheeses if you cook them thoroughly, as this will kill any listeria. Just make sure you've cooked the cheese until it's piping hot all the way through, and it hasn't just melted. All hard cheeses are generally considered safe to eat, even if they are made with unpasteurised milk. There is only a very small amount of listeria bacteria in hard cheeses so they are not considered a risk during pregnancy.
Some safe cheeses in pregnancy include:
· Hard cheeses: smoked versions, cheddar, edam, emmental, English goat's cheddar, feta, gouda, gruyere, halloumi, manchego, paneer, parmesan, pecorino (hard), provolone
· Soft, processed cheeses: garlic and herb roulade, cottage cheese, cream cheese, feta, goat's cheese without a white rind, mascarpone,
mozzarella, processed cheese (such as cheese spread and cheese segments), quark, ricotta.
· Yoghurts, probiotic drinks, fromage frais, soured cream and creme fraiche are all safe to eat. These include any variety, including natural, flavoured and live versions.
Unsafe cheeses in pregnancy
· Mould-ripened soft cheeses: brie, blue brie, cambozola, camembert, chaumes, chevre (goat's cheese with a white rind), pont l'eveque, taleggio, vacherin-fribourgeois.
· Blue-veined cheeses: bergader, bleu d'auvergne, blue wensleydale, shropshire blue, danish blue, dolcelatte, gorgonzola, roncal, roquefort, stilton, tomme.
· Soft, unpasteurised cheese, including goat's and sheep's cheeses: chabichou, pyramide, torta del cesar
Q What is Vegetarian Rennet?A
You may be familiar with the term vegetarian rennet, which is often displayed on the label of cheeses. This almost always refers to amicrobial rennet substitute. Microbial rennet is produced by a fungi grown and fermented in a lab setting. This type of rennet works quite well and is cheaper than traditional rennet but can produce a bitter taste in mature cheeses. However this pure microbial rennet has almost entirely been replaced by a more modern version, FPC – Fermentation Produced Chymosin rennet. This version of microbial rennet is made by taking the enzyme-producing gene out of the mammal’s cell’s DNA string and introducing it into a host fungi’s DNA string. This enables the fungi to produce the chymosin enzyme. This fungi can then be cultivated in a lab and fermented, ready to be used as rennet. This genetically modified rennet does not give the bitter flavour in mature cheeses and it is even cheaper to produce. The use of vegetarian rennet is not always advertised on the labels of cheese. The ingredients often just say rennet but, because of its cost effectiveness, genetically modified rennet is used in the production of almost all industrial cheeses. It is important to distinguish this genetically modified organism from genetically engineered foods. When the DNA from the animal is inserted into the fungi, it is not altered, whereas in genetically engineered products the DNA is altered to change its function, altering completely the nature of the gene. There is a third version of vegetarian rennet called thistle rennet. This is the only true vegetable rennet produced from the cardoon thistle (Cynara cardunculus), a species of artichoke. This plant contains an enzyme called cardosin which acts to coagulate the milk in a similar way to the chymosin enzyme. Coagulation takes longer and works better in milk with high levels of protein and fat, so sheep’s milk is perfect. It is most commonly used in Portuguese sheep’s milk cheeses but has also been used for centuries in areas of Spain, Italy and France. Jewish communities were using it to make kosher cheese before the invention of modern rennet substitutes. It gives a particular citrusy and slightly bitter flavour and a more fudgy texture. Some of the most interesting and delicious cheeses are made using this gift of nature
Q What is Rennet?A
Rennet is made of enzymes chymosin and pepsin found in the stomach lining of ruminant mammals. It is a natural coagulant that helps form the curds in the cheesemaking process and ensures the coagulation happens without the cheese going sour. Rennet is only derived from animals that have previously been slaughtered and never solely for this purpose.
Q Can I eat the rind?A
In most cases, yes! Unless it’s covered in wax or cloth, eating the rind is a preferential decision. Technically rinds on comte and rinded blues are totally edible but they can impart a bitter flavour. Cheese is a natural product, and from time to time you can expect some blooms and moulds to develop on the outside, this is perfectly natural. Some people prefer not to eat the rind at all. As a rule of thumb –  on hard cheeses the rind is best removed, on softer cheeses it is by most considered to be an integral part of the cheese, but it should always be a case of personal preference (if you enjoy it – eat it, if you don’t, then don’t!) the cheese (paste) just under the rind is usually the tastiest!
Q How much cheese should I buy?A
For a cheeseboard allow around 75g-100g approximately of cheese in total for each guest. Therefore if you are serving 10 people and have 4 cheeses, you would serve around 1kg in total, so about of 250g of each cheese.
The amount of cheese required will also depend on whether the cheeses are to be served after dinner, at a tasting or as finger food etc. The manner in which the cheese is to be served – whether as individual cheese plates, buffet style, or as cheeseboards – will also affect the quantities required.
Q How long can the cheeses be out at room temperature?A
Leave the cheese in the fridge for as long as possible before going on display.
Q What do we do with the cheese once we have received it?A
Cheese should be unpacked and stored in a cool place, ideally around 5 degrees. Take out about an hour before serving, and allow to come to room temperature. Leaving cheese come up to room temperature (“to chambre”) allows it to develop a fuller, more aromatic flavour. Beware temperatures that are too warm (hot kitchen) and try and let the cheese come up to temperature in a relatively cool place like a cool pantry. Harder cheeses can need a little more time than softer ones.
[H2] Cheesecakes
Q When do you deliver my cheesecake?A
We deliver Tuesday – Thursday and recommend delivery at a minimum of two days before the event for peace of mind. For example, if your wedding is on a Saturday, we deliver to the venue on the Thursday. If you need the cheesecake the day before or day of

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[IMG: Sheridans French Cheese & Wine Virtual Evening Friday, 29th May 8pm-9.30pm]

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[H2] Sheridans French Cheese & Wine Virtual Evening Friday, 29th May 8pm-9.30pm
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[IMG: Meet the Cidermaker: The Cider Mill Sat June 6th 11am-1pm]

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[H2] Meet the Cidermaker: The Cider Mill Sat June 6th 11am-1pm
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[IMG: Sheridans Cheese & Wine Virtual Evening Friday, 26th June, 8pm-9.30pm]

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[H2] Sheridans Cheese & Wine Virtual Evening Friday, 26th June, 8pm-9.30pm
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[IMG: Meet the Cheesemaker: Ballyhubbock Farm Sat, 27 June, 2026 11am-1pm]

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[H2] Meet the Cheesemaker: Ballyhubbock Farm Sat, 27 June, 2026 11am-1pm
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[IMG: Meet the Cheesemaker: St Tola Goat Cheese Sat July 25th]

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[H2] Meet the Cheesemaker: St Tola Goat Cheese Sat July 25th
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[IMG: Cultivating Connections: Farm Walk at Tory Hill Farm Sat Aug 8th 10:30-12:30]

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[H2] Cultivating Connections: Farm Walk at Tory Hill Farm Sat Aug 8th 10:30-12:30
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[IMG: Meet the Beekeeper: The Farmhouse Bees & Trees, Sat, 29 August 2026, 2pm-4pm]

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[IMG: Meet the Brewer: Ballykilcavan Brewery, Sat, 10 October 2026, in Co. Laois]

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[H2] Meet the Brewer: Ballykilcavan Brewery, Sat, 10 October 2026, in Co. Laois
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[IMG: Sheridans Cheese & Wine Virtual Evening Friday, 30th October, 8pm-9.30pm]

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[IMG: Sheridans Festive Cheese & Wine Virtual Evening Friday, 27th November, 8pm-9.30pm]

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Home Recipes

[H2] Tiramisu
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[H2] Salad of Mozzarella, Poached Pears, Golfera Bresaola and Hazelnuts
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[H2] Leek with smoked bacon au gratin with Pont l’Eveque Recipe
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[H2] French Cheese Canapés
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[H2] Cashel Blue, Broad Bean, Pea, Mint, Coriander and Flaked Almond Salad
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[H2] Mushroom Risotto
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[H2] Fusilli with Quattro Formaggi
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[H2] Cacio e pepe
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[H2] Fettuccine & Sage
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[H2] Healthy, High-Protein Cheeses: Fresh, Balanced & Full of Flavour
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[H2] Seamus’s Grilled Halloumi with Lemon Recipe
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[H2] Delice de Bourgone Mushroom Toasts
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[IMG: ‘Cuvée Perpétuelle’ Premier Cru Bonnet-Ponson]

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[H2] ‘Cuvée Perpétuelle’ Premier Cru Bonnet-Ponson
€77.00 Original price was: €77.00.€61.60Current price is: €61.60.
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[IMG: Mini Washed Rind Cheesecake (8-12 people)]

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[IMG: Chocolates & Rosé]

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