Hafod Cheddar Cheese

A Welsh cheddar created by Sam Holden in 2008, HAFOD is made from raw milk at Holden Farm Dairy in Ceredigion by Rob Howard and his team. It is in the meadows of this pioneering farm, owned by Becky and Patrick Holden and placed under the organic label for over 40 years, that a herd of around a hundred Ayrshire cows graze on the banks of the River Aeron – in Welsh, the term hafod actually means pasture. This rustic breed with a red piebald coat is particularly resistant to the humid and changeable climate of the Cambrian Mountains and produces milk rich in fat and protein. Perfect for cheese production! The HAFOD (pronounced Havod) dough, soft and golden, is sometimes veined with blue, and its buttery texture melts when tasted, offering pronounced floral flavors combined with a particularly warm roundness in the mouth. If this cheddar appears more gourmet, less harsh, acidic or animal than other cheeses in its category, it is notably due to its very smooth finish, delivering surprising sweet notes of date and hazelnut which delicately envelop the palate. Its maturation for at least one year, wrapped in a linen cloth brushed with lard, can be pushed; the HAFOD then acquires a more complex, more demanding, even spicy flavor! And this cheddar never ceases to surprise us! Indeed, if it is produced using traditional methods! For you, the cheeses are refined in our cellars with daily care to delight your taste buds. The weight of all individual cheeses can therefore vary depending on the ripening.