Cliodhna Prendergast visits the Gubbeen Farmhouse in Schull – home to one of Ireland’s most remarkable food families.
From cheesemaking to knife-crafting and holistic horticulture, the Ferguson family’s talents are many and mouth-watering.
When he raised an eyebrow, his eyes were met by a young bohemian girl smiling back at him. Giana had come from London to spend a few weeks of the summer with her uncle, who farmed sheep on Horse Island, and she had taken a summer job in the pub. Tom taught Giana how to pull a proper pint; and in 1975 they were married.
The farm and house was bought by Tom’s great-grandfather as a wedding gift for his grandfather. Tom starts the early morning milking, moving his Friesian herd quietly and gently to the milking shed. He considers himself, as did his father, a custodian of the land and his duty is to leave it, improved, for the next generation, a duty he embraces willingly.
A knife collection that his Uncle Harry gave to him sparked his interest in blades, which has developed into a passion for making beautifully crafted knives. They are now so sought-after that he closed his waiting list in 2017 with almost 2,000 knives on order.
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