Olivia Goodwillie has long been at the heart of Kilkenny’s artisan food and indeed was one of the original founders of the TASTE of Kilkenny Food Trail. Olivia originally created the award winning Lavistown cheese and Lavistown gourmet sausages from their small farm on the outskirts of Kilkenny as well as running courses on topics from foraging to basketry for more than 30 years.
Lavistown cheese is now produced by Helen Finnegan along with a range of cow’s milk and goat’s cheeses at Knockdrinna Farmhouse Cheese in Stoneyford. Denise Walshe has taken over the production of sausages, allowing Olivia pursue other projects; not least of which is her new book ‘Something in the Tin’, a collection of favourite family baking recipes which hits the shelves this winter.
Denise has been ‘learning the ropes’, helping Olivia produce the famous Lavistown sausages for the last three years and has been taking care of production now since January 2014. Speaking about her experience of participating in the TASTE of Kilkenny Food Trail, Denise Walshe explains… “Being part of a food business is something I’m really enjoying. Sometimes it can be a steep learning curve; but I really benefit from being part of the food community that is the TASTE of Kilkenny Food Trail. Being relatively new to this, the trail gives me a network of people willing to share their information and skills with me – it might be a much lonelier road without them.
Trail Kilkenny gives producers like me a window to showcase our product, I trust them to show my product in a good light which they do particularly well through events they organise like The Long Table Dinner; which was such a great coming together of local foodies and crafters”. Denise has had a great year so far, winning a first prize the Irish Pig Society awards and has lots of plans for the future.
Lavistown Sausages are stocked in town at the Foodhall in Kilkenny Design, the Little Green Grocer, the Gourmet Store, Shortis Wong, Europspar and in Stoneyford at Knockdrinna Cheese Farm Shop.
Lavistown is supported by many of Kilkenny’s restaurants, featuring on the menu in Paris Texas as well as being the preferred banger for the Club House and Sol Bistro’s Bangers & Mash!!
