We take great pride in our suppliers, and this week we celebrate regional cheesemakers, Coinga cheese, who supply us with our specialist Mahon cheese from Mernorca.
View our Tapas menu here
BEST REGIONAL CHEESE AT EL PIRATA LONDON TAPAS BAR IN MAYFAIR
The coinga cooperative was founded in 1966 on the initiative of a group of small-scale dairy farmers who joined forces to produce Mahón-Menorca cheese under a single brand: COINGA (Cooperativa Insular Ganadera, Island Livestock Cooperative in English). Today, 50 years later, the Cooperative has around eighty associated estates (farms) throughout Minorca, providing around 150 direct and indirect jobs. Coinga are unique in that they are still firm believers in the value of supporting small, family run dairy farms, who have always been central to the Menorcan way of farming.
The tradition of Mahon cheese began almost a century ago in Menorca, when islanders would trade items in exchange they would for fresh cheeses that the farmers brought to their houses. To store the cheeses, the islanders kept them in caves where they would mature in a unique way, giving them a beautiful buttery, salty taste. Their careful techniques made famous Mahón cheese, and helped to make it a sought-after export- to this day, one of the biggest Spanish cheese exports continues to be Mahon cheese.
A firm favourite with families, Coinga’s semi-mature cheese is matured for between 90 and 120 days. Its lactic flavour is sophisticated and lingering, with hints of butter and toasted dried fruit and nuts. The buttery texture makes it easy to cut, revealing a smooth, complete and shiny surface. This is the most versatile of all the Mahón cheeses, and is perfect for tapas, grilling au gratin, serving on toasted bread with tomato or the classic Balearic Island speciality on toasted bread accompanied by sobrasada sausage and honey. An absolute must on any Spanish cheese platter.
Why not purchase some from our online shop? Perfect paired with a Rose or our Gran Fabien.
