Our Christmas orders are now closed. You can still buy our Cheese Subscriptions to start in January, as well as book our courses and tasting events. If you want to purchase vouchers you can do so until the 20th December but please note that it can take up to 48 hours for the vouchers to be emailed to you as we process these manually.
We have a full counter of cheese in our shop in Pangbourne so you can still come in and purchase items in store
Price range: £2.90 through £17.40
Duckett’s Caerphilly is crumbly in its centre yet moist and creamy just underneath its natural rind. This two-tone effect is the mark of a well-made, traditional Caerphilly. The cheese itself has a complex flavour profile with the crumbly centre being citrussy whereas below the rind the creamier area has earthy, mushroomy tones.
Duckett’s Caerphilly is one of those cheeses that just feels like home. It’s crumbly, fresh, and has a lovely lemony tang that always makes me smile. Named after the town in South Wales, it’s been around for nearly 200 years and is still one of Wales’s best-loved cheeses. There was a time when it nearly disappeared, but thankfully it’s made a real comeback lately, with artisan cheesemakers and cheese fans giving it the recognition it merits.
Caerphilly goes back to the early 1800s, when it was made to keep the coal miners in South Wales going. It was a practical cheese; much quicker to make than Cheddar, which can take months to mature. Caerphilly is ready in just a few weeks, so it was perfect for busy farms and hungry workers.
When coal mining was at its peak, everyone wanted Caerphilly. Its crumbly, moist texture and gentle tang were just the thing for miners after a long shift underground. The bit of saltiness was a bonus, helping to keep them going through all that hard work.
Sadly, by the early 1900s, a lot of Caerphilly was being made in big English factories instead of on Welsh farms. The recipe changed, and the cheese became drier and less interesting, not quite the Caerphilly we know and love today.
Production of the cheese spread into Somerset where many cheddar makers began making it. However after the Second World War Chris Duckett was the only traditional Caerphilly producer left in business. When Chris retired he gave the recipe for his cheese to Tom Calver at Westcombe Dairy who has been championing the cheese ever since. Duckett’s Caerphilly has won several awards including the best Territorial Cheese at the British Cheese Awards.
Caerphilly is made from cow’s milk, with the curds cut small and only gently pressed. That’s what gives it its lovely crumbly but still moist texture. Unlike Cheddar, which is pressed hard to get rid of the moisture, Caerphilly keeps more whey, so the inside stays soft.
It usually matures for two or three months. As it ages, the outside firms up just a little under the natural rind, but the middle stays pale and creamy. Some cheesemakers sell it younger for a fresher flavour, while others let it age a bit longer for more depth.
What I love about Caerphilly is how it manages to be both fresh and rich at the same time.
Traditional Caerphilly has a natural rind, sometimes a bit mottled, and inside it’s ivory or pale cream. The cheese is firm, although crumbles into moist chunks, perfect for nibbling. The edge is a bit firmer and springy, but the centre is soft, creamy, and crumbly. That mix of textures is what makes Caerphilly stand out.
Fresh Caerphilly smells clean and milky, with just a hint of grass. As it gets older, you might notice a touch of mushroom or yeast from the rind.
The flavour starts off bright and lemony, with a lovely lactic tang. It’s a bit salty, but never too much. As it matures, you get buttery and nutty notes, and a gentle earthiness near the rind. The finish is clean and so much lighter than some of the big, heavy cheeses out there.
All in all, Caerphilly is easy to love and works in all sorts of ways. It’s got more personality than a mild Cheddar, but it’s still lighter and less full-on than some of the older British cheeses.
Jen’s note: Traditional Welsh Caerffili PGI is Wales’s only native cheese. Gwynfor and Thelma Adams from Caws Cenarth first made this cheese in 1987. Today, 30 years later, their Traditional Welsh Caerffili is made with the same original recipe and has been named after Thelma, as Thelma’s Original. We occasionally stock Thelma’s but Duckett’s tends to be our Caerphilly of choice.
Sizes and Prices
Storage Advice
Delivery and Collection
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, salt, starter cultures, rennet
Normal opening Monday – Saturday 9am – 4pm until:
Sunday 22nd 9am – 4pm
Monday 23rd 9am – 4pm
Christmas Eve 9am – 12pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day Closed
Friday 27th Closed
Saturday 28th 9am – 4pm
Sunday 29th Closed
Monday 30th 9am – 2pm
Tuesday 31st 9am – 2pm
New Year’s Day Closed
Thursday 2nd January Closed
Friday 3rd 9am – 4pm then open as normal
After Christmas our courier delivery slots start from 8th January.
