A cross between a Reblochon and an Epoisses, Golden Cenarth cheese is a soft, pungent, washed-rind cheese that has gone on to win a number of awards, including Supreme Champion at the British Cheese Awards 2010 and Best British Semi-Soft Cheese in 2016.
Made by Carwyn Adams on the family farm in Carmarthenshire. Carwyn’s parents, Gwynfor and Thelma Adams, have been farming for over 42 years. Cheese-making has now been in the family for six generations. Thelma began making cheese in 1987 and soon established her reputation as a fine maker of traditional Caerffili, and was at the heart of the revival of Welsh artisan cheese-making.
When Carwyn returned to the family farm to develop the cheese-making business, he wanted to make more than just the Caerffili that his mother made so well; and so he started to experiment with different moulds and maturing methods. He has a flair for developing new flavours, one of which has resulted in Golden Cenarth.
After discovering an orange culture growing on a moist Caerffili, Carwyn allowed it to age, eager to discover what effect this would have on the cheese. He found that, with time, it softened the rind and gave rise to an unmistakable seductive pungency. Since that time, the culture has been kept alive and, even today, all Golden Cenarth cheeses are made using the original strain of Brevibacterium.
