We’re on TV!

10 Mar 2021

A couple of weeks ago, we were delighted to welcome a film crew from S4C’s farming programme, Ffermio, to Welsh Cheese HQ. They wanted to see how our business had changed and developed over the past 12 months, and how online selling has helped many of our producers get through a really tough year for the industry.

About the programme:

Ffermio’s producers approached us in February, to see if they could talk to us about how artisan producers in Wales have adapted and overcome very difficult circumstances over the past year. As a business we have been in a fortunate position compared to many in the industry, as we sell primarily online, but sadly many of our producers faced a very uncertain future in March 2020 when the UK went into lockdown and the cafes, delis, restaurants and hotels that are key customers for many smaller producers, closed down overnight. Fortunately online sales saw significant growth in the first few months of lockdown, which helped us to fill the order books of our producers back up, and we’ve all been shown incredible support by wonderful customers all over the UK.

Ffermio also talked to three of Wales’ best artisan cheesemakers, Menai from Caws Rhyd y Delyn, Hannah from Brookes Dairy and Rob from Caws Teifi, about how things had changed for them in 2020, and how they’d been able to adapt and flourish.

Behind the scenes:

On the morning of the 11th February 2021, we welcomed the S4C film crew to our premises in Taffs Well. During the filming, we showed each side of the business from the office where we process and sort all orders, to the packing rooms where your orders are prepared. Director, Tom Pinder was interviewed about the growth of the business and our plans for the future. We also had the opportunity to travel to Panta Farm, the home of Brooke’s Dairy who produce the wonderful Angiddy Brie. After admiring the beautiful Jersey cows (see below), we talked to cheesemaker Hannah about how the pandemic altered their plans.

It was a great day, and a brilliant opportunity to give viewers a glimpse into the Welsh cheese world, and to some of our great cheesemakers.

The episode that we feature in aired on the 8th March at 9pm, if you missed it and would like to watch it, it is available here.