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Welsh Cheddar made in Wales with pride – just as it should be.

The Pembrokeshire Cheese Company launched last week to the delight of hundreds of farmer members in West Wales – as well as the 67 staff at our Haverfordwest creamery.

There are three cheeses within the Welsh range – Mature, Extra Mature and Mature Organic.

Our 100% Welsh cheese is made using milk collected from around 300 dairy farms, all within a 35 mile radius of the creamery.

Jeff Halliwell, managing director of the Pembrokeshire Cheese Company, said the launch of the new cheeses will give Welsh cheese lovers the opportunity to be patriotic, support Welsh dairy farmers and their rural communities and enjoy award-winning cheese.

“We know Welsh consumers want to be patriotic and support their rural communities – and they want great tasting cheese. Now they have it all, with the Pembrokeshire Cheese Company.”

The Pembrokeshire Cheese Company’s aim is to become the Number One Welsh Branded Cheddar and the Number One Branded Cheddar in Wales.

"We believe there is a huge opportunity in Wales. Currently only 6% of the cheesesold in Wales is Welsh cheese – compared to Scotland, where 27% of cheese sold is Scottish cheese. Until now, there has been little choice for Welsh consumers,” added Jeff.

GEORGE'S STORY

George Llewellin and his family are one of the 300 members who supply milk to the Haverfordwest Creamery. George, his wife Anne and son Ben have a herd of 210 cows at their farm at Lower House, Clarbeston in Pembrokeshire, just down the road from the creamery. They are delighted that they are part of the Pembrokeshire Cheese Company story.

“We are producing milk which is going into a local creamery to produce named local products. I think it’s brilliant, “ said George, whose family has been farming at Lower House for 45 years.

“It’s great that people are taking more of an interest in where their food comes from - and it will be very exciting to see the Pembrokeshire name standing out on the shelf. It makes us very proud to know that it is our milk that has gone towards making the cheese.”

In the last two years, the family have made a significant investment in their farm, installing a new milking parlour and all the ‘mod cons’ that a modern dairy - and dairy cow - could benefit from.

“We’ve spent a lot of money on our new set-up and we are delighted with it. It means that the launch of the Pembrokeshire Cheese Company has made our investments even more worthwhile,” George added.

The family has recently bought more land to expand their enterprise further and cow numbers are likely to increase from the herd’s present 210.
George, Anne and Ben - who came into the partnership last year - have a much brighter future. And their cows are also set to have a more colourful time too. Until recently, the cows on the farm have been pedigree Black and White Holsteins but Ben is introducing pedigree Jersey blood into the herd - or at least his fiancee is!

Some 15 Jersey heifers from Mia’s well-known Riverside herd have been introduced which will help the farm produce even creamier milk and our creamery even creamier tasting cheese.

“Dairying is hard work and we do long hours but we are proud of what we do,” says George. “Our investment - and the creamery’s investment - have come at exactly the right time and we’re delighted we are producing and supplying milk to create award-winning cheese from the Pembrokeshire Cheese Company.”