On the Welsh seaside sits Bwlchwernen Fawr, home to Holden Farm Dairy, where seventy-five Ayrshire cows graze and Hafod is made. Patrick and Becky Holden bought the land from an organic farming commune in which Patrick had lived since the early 70s. Since the Holdens continued to use the same organic farming practices as the commune, Bwlchwernen Fawr is the longest running certified organic farm in Wales.

By the early 2000s, the farm was no longer economically sustainable, so Sam Holden, Patrick and Becky’s son, started making Hafod to add value to their cows’ milk. Rob Howard joined the team and tweaked the recipe using the 1917 manual Practical Cheddar Cheese-making so that Hafod became more similar to the Welsh cheddar made over a century ago. The Holdens loved it, Rob loved it, and now we love it!

This is a cheddar for cheddar lovers that want to try something a little bit different. Hafod is a robust cheese with flavors of earth, grass, and pine, and, in certain wheels, a sharp bite. It is excellent on a slice of liberally buttered brown bread with a cup of tea or a cold glass of a citrusy, smooth pale ale.