Cheddar, done the Welsh way
Hafod is a clothbound cheddar made from raw cow’s milk by the Holden family on their organic farm, Bwlchwernen Fawr. Remarkably, the milk from their own herd of 75 Ayrshire cows is rich and creamy and perfect for cheesemaking.
Indeed, it all starts with the name. Hafod is a Welsh word that means summer pasture. And looking after the pasture is key to producing the highest quality cow’s milk from their herd.
A slow cheddaring process
Unsurprisingly, the cheesemaker uses traditional century-old methods which involve slow cheddaring. For starters, they add a yoghurt culture to the milk and leave the sheets of curd to sit until evening. Come evening, they start milling.
Overall, this slow process produces elastic, silky and smooth curds which have a deep buttery aroma. Afterwards, the cheesemaker salts the curds and packs them into cloth-lined cylinders to be pressed.
The resulting 10kg and 18kg rounds are matured for a minimum of 10 months. At this age, they develop a mouldy rind around a rich and buttery golden pâte. Moreover, the cheese’s aroma is reminiscent of hay and the flavour grassy and nutty, with a hint of onion.
It is quite common for the cheese to contain naturally occurring blue veins which add a bit of character and depth of flavour.
How to pair Hafod
Enjoy this Welsh wonder with a fruity, malty Pale Ale.
