Cheese experts invest in ‘innovation lab’ to drive local sector forward faster

Velocheese x Indie Füde, the new innovation lab launched by Johnny McDowell, a successful deli entrepreneur, and Davide Thani, an experienced Italian cheese creator, is described as “a collaborative enterprise that blends the art of cheese-making, a love for community and sustainable business practices”.

The new cheese venture is based at the Banana Block within a former linen mill in east Belfast that also features a living museum, space for community events and scope for smaller businesses.

Johnny, who runs the Indie Füde award-winning delis in Comber and Belfast with business partner Laura Bradley, said: “Davide has been making cheese for well over a decade, beginning his journey in his native Sardinia, before bringing his unique skills to Belfast in 2014.”

Davide set up Velocheese, the first producer of mozzarella and other typical Italian cheeses in NI. Born in Cagliari, the Sardinian capital, Davide is a former radar engineer in the Italian air force who has been handcrafting cheese including fresh Italian mozzarella, stracciatella, burrata, scamorza and maple wood smoked scamorza for much of his life. He started making them in Belfast shortly after his move here with locally born wife. Davide is also planning to craft other Italian cheeses such as ricotta.

“Our venture will have a signature Italian style range of cheeses as result of our head cheese-maker’s rich family history,” Johnny explains. “Davide’s recipe development can be traced back to his family in Sardinia. He is blending his expertise with the best of local milk for cheeses offering rich and authentic Italian flavours which are ideal for dishes such as pizza and pasta.

“Our cheeses are made with the morning milk, and when it arrives with us has travelled less than five miles. By hand stretching and shaping we retain a unique control over quality and ability to focus on the desired characteristics of each cheese for consumers.”

Johnny has been part of cheese-making courses at the School of Artisan Food at Welbeck in Nottinghamshire and has carried this passion forward into the development of his first deli in Comber and in the creation of dedicated cheese maturing room at second on Belfast’s Ormeau Road. Johnny and Davide were encouraged to set up the new cheese enterprise in east Belfast by an opportunity they spotted developing in the local market from pizza producers.

“We saw scope to offer pizza producers a local supply of premium Italian cheeses crafted by an expert,” Johnny says. “Our new operation will also focus on traditional local cheeses and help to raise awareness among people here of the quality and taste of produce from here.”

They’ve just launched a special brochure for wholesalers on Velocheese x Indie Füde products for the hospitality sector and the wider food industry and are building on relationships with other artisans such as Bullhouse Beer in Belfast for events for the public within the Banana Block. Bullhouse is developing a pub specialising in craft beers and spirits at the Holywood Arches.

Indie Füde was established by Johnny, a chartered accountant, and hospitality specialist Laura back in 2015, sourcing independent and indigenous food and drink products from the island of Ireland for their original deli in Comber and also for corporate gift boxes.

The enterprise has helped dozens of local food artisans win their first retail sales and continues to support and advise smaller food operations in areas such as packaging. It also markets these products through an active on-line presence. This focus recently led to the award of Producers’ Champion by the influential Blas na hEireann organisation from Dingle in Co Kerry.

The deli partners also introduced many local shoppers to cheese and other artisan foods through their longstanding support for farmers’ markets especially the popular Comber and the Inns on Saintfield Road in Belfast every month. Hampers of local produce have been created for promotional activities of Tourism NI, Food NI and Invest NI. Invest NI has also assisted Johnny’s embryonic Cheese Academy, another initiative to focus attention on local and other Irish cheeses.

The focus on cheese has been a boost for our fledgling artisan sector that includes Dart Mountain in Dungiven; Mike’s Fancy Cheese in Newtownards; Ballylisk of Armagh in Portadown; and Kearney Blue in Castlereagh. Recent additions to the cadre of cheese makers include Carrickfergus Cheese Company, and a Nicole Stronge in Banbridge.