Caws Cenarth - Welsh Organic Cheese

In the heart of West Wales, is a small family enterprise - Caws Cenarth Cheese. Here, where Welsh speaking Gwynfor and Thelma Adams have been farming for over 42 years, the cheesemaking business was established in April 1987 as a response to the E.C milk quotas which had threatened the viability of the family farm. Thelma and Gwynfor's initiative is acknowledged to have instigated and led the revival of Welsh Farmhouse Caerffili and Caws Cenarth is now the oldest established producer of Welsh Farmhouse Caerffili.

Drawing on skills derived from a long family tradition of cheesemaking. Gwynfor remembers as a small child helping his mother to fill the large 40lb moulds and Thelma has fond memories of watching her mother turn the surplus milk from the two family cows into a moreish white Caerffili cheese using very basic cheesemaking utensils.

However, times have moved on and now the Adams have the benefit of modern stainless steel equipment but the cheese is still made entirely by hand in the time - honoured way and is even pressed in cast iron presses which are now over a hundred years old. Some of these presses even carry the names of local towns such as Carmarthen and Cardigan.