Celtic Promise is a semi-soft washed rind cheese from the Teifi Valley in west Wales.  Made from raw cow's milk this "dumpling" shaped cheese is washed in cider developing a sticky, orange coloured rind as it matures.  It has a pungent fruity aroma from its spicy rind, contrasting with its paste that is buttery in texture and delicate in flavour.  

Celtic Promise is great on a cheeseboard and also melts beautifully.  It pairs well with cider and a sweet apple chutney.    

  • Unpasteurised cow's milk 
  • Vegetarian rennet
     

What is special about Celtic Promise?

From cheese-makers "Caws Teifi" in Ceredigion, west Wales, Celtic Promise is one of only two cheeses to win twice the title of "Supreme Champion" at the British Cheese Awards.  This family-run organic farm makes a range of cheeses using traditional artisan methods and high quality locally-sourced raw cow's milk.  Caws Teifi have been making cheese for over thirty years since it was established in 1982 with Dutch cheese-making heritage coming from co-founder John Savage-Onstwedder.         

Each wheel of Celtic Promise is "dumpling" shaped and approximately 650g in weight.  The rind is slightly sticky and orangey-pink in colour (typical of a washed rind cheese).  Inside its semi-soft paste is vibrant yellow.  

Celtic Promise starts life as Caws Teifi Caerphilly, handmade on the farm in Wales.  Around one week later it is then moved for ripening under the watchful eye of Pat Jackson in Eastside, East Sussex.  Here Celtic Promise is smear-ripened and washed in cider.  This technique is traditionally associated with French cheeses such as Époisses.  The rind is smeared regularly with a solution of desired bacteria and then washed to ensure even growth and ripening.  For Celtic Promise this process happens twice weekly over a period of seven weeks.

The washed rind of Celtic Promise is pungent in aroma and edible.   Its spicy, fruity taste gives the cheese a blast of flavour.  By contrast, its paste is soft and buttery in texture with a creamy, delicate flavour.  

On a cheeseboard Celtic Promise tastes great with an accompaniment of sweet apple chutney.  It also melts well making it the perfect ingredient for an indulgent Welsh Rarebit or on top of a jacket potato.  It pairs well with cider.