Artisan Cheese & Ethical Dairy: Penrhiw Organic Farm and Jemima Blue

Penrhiw Organic Farm sits high above Fishguard, where sea air brushes the hedgerows and herbal leys ripple across soft Welsh hills. Alan and his partner are building a new kind of dairy: small, organic, and guided by low-stress, high-welfare principles. Their herd of Jerseys and Jersey-crosses is milked once a day, soon to be kept with calves at foot, a system designed for happier cows, healthier milk, and exceptional cheese.

The result is Jemima Blue, a buttery, herbaceous blue cheese that speaks of pasture, patience and personality.

FROM HERD TO CHEESE

“Twenty cows is a lovely number,” says Alan. “The work’s calmer, the mess less, and you get to know every animal.” Downsizing came from necessity. Tightening slurry rules and falling milk prices made conventional dairying unviable, but it also opened space for a more thoughtful way of farming. Milking once a day has improved fertility, cow health and even TB results “the best we’ve ever had.”

Next comes a full calf-at-foot system: less milk to sell, but calmer cows, less stress, and (Alan believes) even better milk.

FARMING PHILOSOPHY

Penrhiw’s ethos goes beyond the organic badge. “Organic is one thing,” Alan explains, “but you can take it further.” The fields are sown with diverse herbal leys, chicory, plantain, clovers and deep-rooting grasses. These fix nitrogen naturally, cutting the need for artificial inputs. Cows graze only what’s grown on the farm, with minimal concentrate feed. The result is a closed, self-sufficient loop where soil, pasture, animals and milk are all in harmony.

The coastal microclimate plays its part: mild winters, cool summers, steady breezes from the sea. Stress-free cows, diverse forage and sea air combine to create milk of unusual richness and depth.

MAKING JEMIMA BLUE

Each morning’s milk is piped by gravity from the dairy to the make room, a small but efficient setup that turns 200 litres of milk into around 30 kilos of cheese. The milk is pasteurised, cooled, cultured and ripened before the rennet is stirred in. Once set, the curds are cut into neat cubes and stirred gently in intervals, an hour of patient work that keeps the fat within the curd. The cheeses are drained, moulded and dry-salted rather than brined.

The result is a blue with rich creaminess from Jersey milk, delicate veining, and a mellow, mouth-coating savouriness that lingers long after the bite.

A HEROINE’S NAME

The name Jemima Blue honours local legend Jemima Nicholas, the “heroine of Fishguard,” who famously helped repel a tipsy French invasion in 1797. “I liked the story,” says Alan. “She was strong, brave, and local, just like the cheese.” The company’s name, Penkw, comes from the Welsh “up there,” echoing the farm’s location at the top of the hill.

PAIRINGS AND PLATES

Alan’s approach to pairings is understated: “Keep it simple and let the cheese speak.” Gentle accompaniments like pear jam, quince paste or even sweet roasted carrots work beautifully. He also makes a blue cheese quiche, and his favourite, a simple steak sauce with cream, stock and melted Jemima Blue. “It’s mild enough not to overpower, but rich enough to stand up.”

Jemima Blue - now available at Wholefoods Newport

CHALLENGES & REWARDS

Running a small organic dairy on the Pembrokeshire coast brings constant lessons. “Everything that can go wrong, does, and that’s how you learn,” Alan laughs. Selling locally is tough farmers’ markets often restrict traders to avoid overlap, even if the cheeses are totally different. “You suddenly realise why British markets can’t compete with the French, too many rules, not enough variety.”

But food festivals and farm tours have been a success, and Alan’s hopeful: “People love to come, meet the cows, and taste cheese where it’s made.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Penrhiw is working on a Brie-style cheese, soft, creamy and as indulgent as their blue, plus a Caerphilly inspired by true Welsh tradition. “There’s a huge gap for a proper Welsh Caerphilly,” Alan says. “We want something young, bright, and buttery, simple and real.”

QUICK FIRE ROUND

Raw milk or pasteurised?
Pasteurised.

Cheese wire or curd knife?
Curd knife.

Morning milking or evening sunset?
Morning.

Favourite Welsh word?
“Pysgod wibbly wobbly” (wibbly wobbly fish).

Ale, cider or natural wine with Jemima Blue?
Natural wine.

If Jemima Blue were a person?
Good, sturdy, characterful… and a bit wild.

Favourite cheese besides your own?
Roquefort.

Hard day in the dairy, what’s on the stereo?
Shirley Bassey.

One thing you’d never compromise on in cheesemaking?
Quality of the ingredient.

What does “real cheese” mean to you?
Respect for the land, the animal, and the milk.

You can find Pencw Cheese & Bed & Breakfast at: Penrhiw Farm, Goodwick
Pembrokeshire, SA64 0AQ

Contact Alan Latter: t: 07875219746 e: alan@penrhiwfarm.co.uk

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