Oct 20
A rich and buttery heritage
Posted in Producers , Duchy Originals Products by admin
Handmade by the Holden family, the name Hafod is pronounced 'Havod' and means summer place or pasture. And that's just where we make our cheese - Bwlchwernen Fawr, a small dairy farm on the Welsh west coast.
Although our set-up is fairly simple: we own just enough cows to make the milk to make the cheese right on the farm, the origins of Hafod are complex. Its taste and texture are indicative of the skills of local cheesemaker, the late Dougal Campbell who learnt his craft in the Swiss Alps before returning to make his cheese T'yn Grug. Dougal then went onto train many local cheesemakers, including Simon Jones who helped us start our dairy in 2005. By using his recipe for Lincolnshire Poacher as a starting point, we finally started making cheese in August 2007.
Using raw (unpasteurised) milk from our 65 Ayrshire cows, Hafod cheese has a distinctive rich and buttery taste. And we let it mature for 10 to 18 months to infuse it with a complex nutty flavour.
We've been making cheese for three years, but we're making sure our food heritage lives on. Local school kids regularly visit Bwlchwernen Fawr to learn about environmental issues, sustainable farming and where their food comes from.
