As the name suggests, this was originally a Welsh cheese, but there's quite a history of Caerphilly making on the south side of the Bristol Channel. Favoured by miners in days gone by, it can also be enjoyed above ground! A young cheese with a creamy texture and pinkish rind, it melts beautifully: ideal for your Welsh Rarebit.
This cheese also forms the basis for Tornegus. Pat Robinson uses Duckett's Carephilly to produce this beautiful rind-washed cheese, originally developed by her partner, the late James Aldridge. Tornegus is great! Strong smelling (but not over-the-top), springy and with a rich fruity taste and a fantastic orange rind.
Vegetarian / Pasteurised
More about Duckett's Caerphilly
Chris Duckett's family had a farm at nearby Wedmore, and started making their Caerphilly in the 1920s, with Chris himself active since the 60s. He devoted himself to preserving the 'genuine article' - something that was in serious danger of disappearing - and this work was recognised in 2008 when he recieved a special award at the British Cheese Awards.
In time Chris gave up the farming and moved his making to Westcombe, creating this unique arrangement where two great makers share the same space. The next chapter in the Ducketts story came a couple of years ago with the arrival of Jemima (seen here at the cheese press), an Oxford-based research biochemist who'd been to work with Jamie Montgomery and become hooked!
To cut a long story short, Chris has now retired and Jemima, now relocated to Somerset, is carrying the great name of Duckett's Caerphilly forward into the 21st century. She's still making his Wedmore - Caerphilly with chives - and the smoked version, but, keen not to stand still, has added an unpasteurised Caerphilly and even an 'aged' version, which is matured for a couple of months so that a rind forms and the flavour develops.
Incidentally, watching Jemima and Andy work I was struck again by what hard graft cheesemaking is: in this case hours of stirring, cutting and piling curd, then filling and stacking moulds - and all the time you're bent double over the vat.
As Jemima said with feeling: "when we say it's hand made, we mean it".
