History of Caerphilly
Caerphilly is a traditional Welsh cheese. It is named after the town and county in South Wales, where it was first produced by local farmers for domestic use in order to use up surplus milk. In the 1830s it began to be sold as a source of additional income.

After 1830, demand grew and a cheese market was set up to cater for growing demand from the vale of Glamorgan to Chepstow. The cheese was said to be a favourite with Welsh miners as it is shallow in height and with a rind to protect it meant that it was easy to eat in the pits with dirty hands.

Miners were already well aware of the benefits to be derived from cheese. Not only was it a good nourishing part of their diet it was known that it also seemed capable of absorbing some of the toxic substances, which were inhaled at the coal face. Much was exported by road and rail to the collier districts, the coastal areas and even as far as Bristol.

However, by 1910 little Caerphilly cheese was being made, for export, because the farmers could no longer compete against cheaper cheeses of England and abroad. Most farmers found it better to export their milk by road and rail and let somebody else do something with it. The Somerset farmers were more than willing to. Their Cheddar took a whole year to ripen; Caerphilly cheese took 2 weeks - certainly a much more economical proposition.

During World War II the making of any cheese but Cheddar was restricted to personal consumption. After the war so little Caerphilly was being made in Wales that it took them several decades to recover.

Although Todd and Maugan's great grandmother had made cheese in Wales two generations ago, it was to Chris Duckett in Somerset that Todd went to learn the art of Caerphilly making.