Wales


<p>A day dedicated entirely to cheese? Frankly, it&#8217;s the sort of national celebration we can all get behind. Here at Muddy, we&#8217;re firm believers that life is better with a good cheeseboard. Particularly when it&#8217;s accompanied by a large glass of wine and absolutely no discussion about calories. So, in the interests of serious journalism (and not simply finding an excuse to eat more dairy), we asked Tom Pinder, founder of <a href="https://www.welshcheesecompany.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Welsh Cheese Company</a>, to share the Welsh cheeses he rates above all others.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Tom-and-the-team-at-The-Welsh-Cheese-Company-1024x683.png" alt="Tom and the team at The Welsh Cheese Company" class="wp-image-7667" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Tom-and-the-team-at-The-Welsh-Cheese-Company-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Tom-and-the-team-at-The-Welsh-Cheese-Company-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Tom-and-the-team-at-The-Welsh-Cheese-Company-768x512.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Tom-and-the-team-at-The-Welsh-Cheese-Company.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom and the team at The Welsh Cheese Company</figcaption></figure>



<p>And it turns out Wales has rather a lot to shout about. From a Caerffili created by a woman who once dressed as Cleopatra to protest milk quotas, to a &#8220;Smelly Saint&#8221; washed in mead, these artisan cheeses come with stories every bit as good as their flavour.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thelma-caerffili-from-caws-cenarth"><a href="https://www.welshcheesecompany.co.uk/product/thelma-caerffili" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thelma Caerffili</a> from Caws Cenarth</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Thelma-Caerffili.png" alt="Thelma Caerffili from Caws Cenarth" class="wp-image-7604" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Thelma-Caerffili.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Thelma-Caerffili-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Thelma-Caerffili-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Thelma-Caerffili-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>If Welsh cheesemaking had a Hall of Fame, Thelma Adams would undoubtedly have a place in it. Back in the early 1980s, Thelma and her husband started making cheese at Caws Cenarth in Carmarthenshire, helping to spearhead Wales&#8217; artisan cheese revival long before local produce became fashionable. Today, Thelma Caerffili is one of only a handful of cheeses allowed to carry the protected designation of Traditional Welsh Caerffili.</p>



<p>And then there&#8217;s the protest. For years, the packaging featured Thelma dressed as Cleopatra, being carried through the streets of Carmarthen in a bath to demonstrate against milk quotas. Honestly, we&#8217;d buy it for the story alone. Fortunately, the cheese is just as impressive. Fresh, crumbly and beautifully balanced, it&#8217;s considered by many to be the benchmark for Welsh Caerffili.</p>



<p><strong>Tom&#8217;s take:</strong>&nbsp;&#8220;Thelma Caerffili is easily one of the world&#8217;s best Caerffilis. It sets the standard for all Welsh-made Caerffili and has helped keep the tradition alive.&#8221;</p>



<p><strong>Perfect pairing:</strong> A crisp, dry white such as Montgomery&#8217;s Solaris.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Roger-at-Caws-Penhelyg-1024x683.png" alt="Roger at Caws Penhelyg" class="wp-image-7665" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Roger-at-Caws-Penhelyg-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Roger-at-Caws-Penhelyg-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Roger-at-Caws-Penhelyg-768x512.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Roger-at-Caws-Penhelyg.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Roger at Caws Penhelyg</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caws-penhelyg-abaty-from-caws-penhelyg"><a href="https://www.welshcheesecompany.co.uk/product/caws-penhelyg-abaty" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Caws Penhelyg Abaty</a> from Caws Penhelyg</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Caws-Penhelyg-Abaty.png" alt="Caws Penhelyg Abaty from Caws Penhelyg" class="wp-image-7605" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Caws-Penhelyg-Abaty.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Caws-Penhelyg-Abaty-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Caws-Penhelyg-Abaty-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Caws-Penhelyg-Abaty-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Anyone who judges a cheese by how gloriously it spills across a cracker should make a beeline for Abaty. Made by Roger Yorke in a tiny dairy just outside Aberystwyth, this unpasteurised soft cheese is one of only a handful of raw milk soft cheeses currently being produced in the UK. </p>



<p>Producing raw milk cheese on such a small scale is no easy feat, but Roger has quietly created one of Wales&#8217; most exciting new cheeses. Rich, oozy and unapologetically pungent, it&#8217;s the sort of cheese that makes guests either swoon or move slightly further down the table.</p>



<p><strong>Tom&#8217;s take:</strong>&nbsp;&#8220;Abaty is one of the best recent additions to the Welsh cheese scene. Its rich ooze makes it a favourite on the counter in both of our shops.&#8221;</p>



<p><strong>Perfect pairing:</strong> A dry cider such as Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-teifi-seaweed-by-caws-teifi"><a href="https://www.welshcheesecompany.co.uk/product/teifi-seaweed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Teifi Seaweed</a> by Caws Teifi</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Teifi-Seaweed-by-Caws-Teifi.png" alt="Teifi Seaweed by Caws Teifi" class="wp-image-7608" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Teifi-Seaweed-by-Caws-Teifi.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Teifi-Seaweed-by-Caws-Teifi-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Teifi-Seaweed-by-Caws-Teifi-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Teifi-Seaweed-by-Caws-Teifi-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>When the Savage-Onstwedder family swapped the Netherlands for rural Ceredigion in 1981, they arrived with a dream of organic farming, self-sufficiency and a treasured Dutch cheesemaking recipe.</p>



<p>More than four decades later, that family legacy lives on through Caws Teifi, now run by the next generation. Their Teifi Seaweed has become one of the dairy&#8217;s most popular cheeses, combining traditional Gouda-making techniques with a distinctly Welsh twist. The result is rich, creamy and gently savoury, with the seaweed adding depth rather than overwhelming the flavour. </p>



<p><strong>Tom&#8217;s take:</strong>&nbsp;&#8220;Teifi Seaweed is a Welsh twist on a Dutch classic. Made using traditional Gouda cheesemaking techniques by a family who brought the recipe with them from the Netherlands more than 40 years ago, it combines the best of both countries.&#8221;</p>



<p><strong>Perfect pairing:</strong> A pale ale such as Bragdy Twt Lol Pale Ale.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/The-Welsh-Cheese-Company-cheese-and-wine-hamper.png" alt="The Welsh Cheese Company cheese and wine hamper" class="wp-image-7669" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/The-Welsh-Cheese-Company-cheese-and-wine-hamper.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/The-Welsh-Cheese-Company-cheese-and-wine-hamper-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/The-Welsh-Cheese-Company-cheese-and-wine-hamper-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/The-Welsh-Cheese-Company-cheese-and-wine-hamper-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pwll-mawr-smoked-cheddar-by-the-blaenafon-cheddar-company"><a href="https://www.welshcheesecompany.co.uk/product/pwll-mawr-smoked-cheddar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pwll Mawr Smoked Cheddar</a> by The Blaenafon Cheddar Company</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Pwll-Mawr-Smoked-Cheddar-by-The-Blaenafon-Cheddar-Company.png" alt="Pwll Mawr Smoked Cheddar by The Blaenafon Cheddar Company" class="wp-image-7609" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Pwll-Mawr-Smoked-Cheddar-by-The-Blaenafon-Cheddar-Company.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Pwll-Mawr-Smoked-Cheddar-by-The-Blaenafon-Cheddar-Company-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Pwll-Mawr-Smoked-Cheddar-by-The-Blaenafon-Cheddar-Company-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Pwll-Mawr-Smoked-Cheddar-by-The-Blaenafon-Cheddar-Company-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Some cheeses whisper. This one confidently clears its throat and announces itself. Produced by The Blaenafon Cheddar Company, Pwll Mawr Smoked Cheddar takes its name from a local landmark and celebrates the industrial heritage of the UNESCO World Heritage town where it&#8217;s made.</p>



<p>The business was founded 20 years ago by Susan Fiander-Woodhouse and her husband Gerry, who have built a loyal following for their distinctive blended cheddars. This particular cheese is slowly smoked over oak for 36 hours by Black Mountains Smokery, creating a deeply savoury flavour that&#8217;s rich, earthy and wildly addictive.</p>



<p><strong>Tom&#8217;s take:</strong>&nbsp;&#8220;Smoked Pwll Mawr is one of the best smoked cheddars in the UK. Slowly smoked for 36 hours over oak, it is savoury, earthy and incredibly moreish.&#8221;</p>



<p><strong>Perfect pairing:</strong>&nbsp;A medium-bodied red such as White Castle Regent.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Team-at-Pant-Mawr-1024x683.png" alt="Team-at-Pant-Mawr" class="wp-image-7664" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Team-at-Pant-Mawr-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Team-at-Pant-Mawr-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Team-at-Pant-Mawr-768x512.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Team-at-Pant-Mawr.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The team at Pant Mawr</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drewi-sant-by-pant-mawr">Drewi-Sant by Pant Mawr</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Drewi-Sant-by-Pant-Mawr.png" alt="Drewi-Sant by Pant Mawr" class="wp-image-7615" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Drewi-Sant-by-Pant-Mawr.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Drewi-Sant-by-Pant-Mawr-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Drewi-Sant-by-Pant-Mawr-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/Drewi-Sant-by-Pant-Mawr-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Let&#8217;s start with the name. Drewi-Sant translates as &#8216;Smelly Saint&#8217;, which tells you almost everything you need to know. This distinctive washed-rind cheese is made by the Jennings family at their farm near Rosebush in Pembrokeshire. The family established Pant Mawr Farmhouse Cheeses in 1983 after returning to Wales from the Middle East, where they had helped establish some of the first commercial dairy enterprises in Libya and North Yemen.</p>



<p>During maturation, the cheese is regularly washed in mead, giving it a fruity tang that balances its rich savoury character. Yes, it has a powerful aroma. But that&#8217;s not a reason to avoid it. </p>



<p><strong>Tom&#8217;s take:</strong>&nbsp;&#8220;Drewi-Sant is a distinctively fruity cheese made by one of Wales&#8217; longest-established cheesemaking families.&#8221;</p>



<p><strong>Perfect pairing:</strong>&nbsp;A dry sparkling rosé such as Lwynhudol Rhosliw Pefriog.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



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Brie-lieve the hype: 5 outstanding Welsh cheeses to try now

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