HERO CHEESE Thelma’s Caerffili
Caws Cenarth
There is something deeply reassuring about a cheese that carries a family name.
This month, The Real Cheese Project’s Cheese of the Month is Thelma’s Caerffili from Caws Cenarth in West Wales — a cheese that represents far more than a recipe. It is a link to Welsh food heritage, a celebration of farmhouse cheesemaking, and a reminder that some traditions are worth fighting to preserve.
When I sat down with Carwyn Adams, one of Britain’s most respected farmhouse cheesemakers, I expected to talk about success. Instead, we talked about grass, milk, family and the responsibility of looking after something that almost disappeared.
“We’re not really interested in growing the business,” Carwyn told me. “It’s about making sure we can get the best flavour out there and produce a quality that people want to come back and buy.”
That philosophy has guided Caws Cenarth for decades. The business was never built simply to make more cheese. It was built to create value from the family farm and the milk produced on the lush pastures of West Wales.
“The heart says we need to grow and produce more cheese from the lovely grass and lovely milk we produce here,” he says. “What else have we got? The countryside sells itself, but we’ve got to take something from there and get value back from it.”
Thelma’s Caerffili
Why Thelma’s Name Matters
The cheese carries the name of Carwyn’s mother, Thelma, who played a pivotal role in reviving traditional Caerffili during the 1980s.
“It was important that we remembered what Thelma did here,” says Carwyn. “That was the cheese she wanted to reinvigorate.”
She travelled, promoted the cheese and helped remind people what traditional Caerffili had once been: young, fresh, pale, creamy and full of milky flavour.
Today, Thelma’s Caerffili remains a tribute to that work. It is instantly recognisable, from its traditional shape and pale rind to the bright, refreshing character that has made it a favourite among cheesemongers and consumers alike.
For Carwyn, preserving that identity matters.“We get so many people who come up and say, ‘Caerffili, like I used to have with my grandma.’ If that recipe is lost, it’s going to be very difficult to get it back.”
Saving a Welsh Tradition
Traditional Caerffili nearly vanished altogether.
That is one of the reasons Caws Cenarth has been so committed to protecting the style and helping secure its place in Welsh food culture.
Carwyn speaks warmly about the importance of preserving the recipe and ensuring future generations understand what authentic Welsh Caerffili is supposed to be.
Unlike some modern interpretations, Thelma’s Caerffili remains deliberately young and fresh. Historically, the cheese was produced using very simple cultures designed primarily to acidify milk quickly and turn it into a stable food.
“Therewere no complicated cultures,” Carwyn explains. “The basic idea was to turn milk that would probably go off into a stable product in a matter of hours.”
The result is a cheese that celebrates freshness rather than long ageing.
What Makes a Great Caerffili?
Ask Carwyn what people should look for in a great Caerffili and the answer is immediate. “A little bit of sharpness, but not overly sharp. Something refreshing in the mouth.” It should have a gentle bite, a light texture and a clean finish. “You should get a tiny little bit of saltiness, but overwhelming milky flavours. Young milky flavours.”
It is a style of cheese that remains incredibly versatile. Equally at home on a cheeseboard, crumbled into a salad or simply enjoyed as a snack, its appeal lies in its freshness and accessibility.
The Influence of West Wales
For Carwyn, great cheese begins with great milk.
The milk used for Thelma’s Caerffili comes from organic production, and he believes the character of the pasture plays a significant role in shaping the flavour. “I think the clovers and leys associated with organic pastures have a different flavour in the butterfat.”
Because Caerffili is a relatively young cheese, much of its character comes from the quality of the milk itself. “It’s those lovely fresh flavours that really come through.”
In many ways, Thelma’s Caerffili is a reflection of the landscape around it, green fields, rich grass and generations of farming knowledge.
The Future of Farmhouse Cheese
When asked about the biggest changes he has seen during his years in cheesemaking, Carwyn reflects on how the industry has evolved.
He believes farmhouse cheesemaking remains crucial to the future of many farms.“If none of us were producing these artisan cheeses, how much more milk would we have in the pool? A lot of these farms probably wouldn’t be viable.”
It is a simple observation but an important one. Across Britain, cheesemaking has allowed countless family farms to create value from their milk, support rural communities and maintain agricultural traditions that might otherwise disappear.
That connection between farming and cheesemaking remains at the heart of everything Caws Cenarth does.
The Future of Farmhouse Cheese
When asked about the biggest changes he has seen during his years in cheesemaking, Carwyn reflects on how the industry has evolved.
He believes farmhouse cheesemaking remains crucial to the future of many farms.“If none of us were producing these artisan cheeses, how much more milk would we have in the pool? A lot of these farms probably wouldn’t be viable.”
It is a simple observation but an important one. Across Britain, cheesemaking has allowed countless family farms to create value from their milk, support rural communities and maintain agricultural traditions that might otherwise disappear.
That connection between farming and cheesemaking remains at the heart of everything Caws Cenarth does.
Carwyn Adams
Quick Fire with Carwyn Adams
One word to describe Thelma’s Caerffili?
Fresh.
Favourite Welsh cheese other than your own?
Teifi Heritage.
Hard cheese or soft cheese?
Soft.
Early mornings in the dairy or late-night checks in the cheese room?
Late-night checks.
One food that always belongs with Caerffili?
Jam.
Favourite jam with Caerffili?
Blackcurrant.
Most underrated British cheese?
Carwyn diplomatically declined to choose one.
What’s in your fridge at home right now?
Homemade kapuska, a fermented cabbage recipe he enjoys every day.
Thelma’s Caerffili is more than a cheese. It is a story of family, farming, landscape and tradition. It is proof that some of Britain’s greatest cheeses are not created by chasing growth, but by staying true to where they come from. And in every bite, there is a little piece of West Wales.
James Grant