The co-founders of Caws Teifi Cheese, John, Patrice and Paula moved from their native Holland to Wales in 1981, where they planned to set up a centre for learning organic farming and self-sufficiency
Photo credit: Heather Birnie
They purchased Glynhynod Farm, Remarkable Valley in Welsh and started to work towards this goal. Patrice, who trained as a cheesemaker in Holland, started making wonderful raw milk cheese in 1983 which was based on a 500-year-old Gouda recipe. This is the same recipe that they use today and is named after the nearby river Teifi. The Chwerchyr, a tributary of the Teifi runs through the farm.
Caws Teifi Cheese is now the longest established artisan cheese in Wales.
Today the farm and family business are run by John James and Robert who are John and Patrice’s two sons. They are carrying on their parents’ vision for the farm and Caws Teifi Cheese.
Over the years the business has expanded and a number of local people have become an invaluable part of the Glynhynod team, particularly their head cheesemaker – Tim Mitchell who has been making cheeses at Glynhynod since 2003.
All about the cheese
Since 1983 Caws Teifi Cheese has become the most highly awarded RAW milk cheese in the UK.
The cheeses range from the Natural Teifi to Halloumi, Nettle Teifi, Oak Smoked, Seaweed Teifi, traditional Caerphilly cheese and more.
All cheese is made from the organic raw milk produced at Gary James’ and Sally Wood’s farm, Ffynnon Laeth. Uniquely the happy cows are milked only ONCE a day.
Dà Mhìle Distillery
It’s also worth noting that the family have created the perfect package on the farm with their Dà Mhìle Distillery where they distil organic gin, whisky, vodka, apple brandy and most recently, rum.
The inspiration for the Distillery came about when in 1992 John wanted to celebrate the new millennium with organic whisky. So, spotting a gap in the market he worked with Springbank Distillery in Campbeltown to create the first organic single malt whisky of the modern era which he named Dà Mhìle (Gaelic for Two Thousand).
Where to buy
You can buy from the online shop here. If you are lucky enough to be in Ceredigion, they have a small organic farm shop at Glynhynod where they sell exclusively local, regional produce.
You can also find information about events and the local markets and festivals they have stalls at here.
We asked John why and how you became committed to organic.
“I became involved in the organic movement way back in 1973 when I read the first report commissioned by the Club of Rome titled “Limits to Growth’. The scientific study carried out by the renowned MIT in the US resulted in a Copernican revolution in human thinking. There are limits to growth. The world is finite. For there to be any future at all it will have to be GREEN!”
We asked why they decided to join the OTB
“We passionately believe in organic farming.”
Tell us how business has managed over the last year?
“Like most businesses supplying the hospitality sector we have suffered a drastic decline in turnover. As a result ,we have focussed on online sales to keep going.”
What plans do you have for the business in the next 12 months?
“Now the country has opened up again sales are starting to pick up. We aim to bottle more organic single malt whisky and maybe bottle our first organic Welsh Absinthe!”
You can visit the Teifi Cheese online shop here and the Dà Mhìle shop here.
