Pont Gâr - a branded soft cheese range is the latest development in the recent revival of Welsh cheesemaking and is poised to make significant inroads into the UK specialist market, with eyes set on both deli and multiples as outlets.

These continental style white mould ripened range of cheeses are produced using fresh cows milk and matured for a 5 week period. Pont Gâr has a smooth and creamy texture and a slight sweetness, obtained from the high-quality of milk used.

The Carmarthenshire Cheese Company Ltd, was founded earlier this year (2006) by co-owners and Steve and Sian Elin Peace. Three years ago the couple returned to Sian Elin’s native Carmarthenshire following 25 years each of senior experience in the UK dairy sector with both having worked at one of UK’s largest dairy ingredients manufacturer.

Since returning, they have been running their own business support company, Datrys Solutions Cyf. providing business and technology support to a range of new and established food and dairy companies in England and Wales.

But from their consultancy work, the couple spotted a gap in the market for a distinctive soft and speciality cheese business in Wales which has led to the establishment of the new company currently at the Food Park, Horeb, Llandysul.

Commenting Steve said, “We have worked at breakneck speed to create a state of the art manufacturing facility as well as developing recipes to maximize local milk supplies using new, unique recipes. Just 15 days after taking the keys, we were processing Welsh milk for trial batches. Fortunately they passed technical and most importantly, consumer tests with flying colours! So now we are in business!”

The Pont Gâr range has already won several awards at key trade shows this season, nominated as a finalist in the Tesco Cheese Challenge, winning three bronze awards and a silver at the World Cheese Awards a seccont third and fourth in the Great Yorkshire Show and more recently winning the bronze award in the cheeseboard category at the Cheshire Show.

Meanwhile, acknowledging that establishing a strong product identity would be a key asset in the business’s success, the couple have invested significantly in professional branding and promotion, commissioning Welsh food and bilingual branding specialists FBA in Aberystwyth to develop an unique brand for the new range of cheese’s. FBA are widely known for its pioneering work with brand such as Halen Môn, Cadog and Rachel’s Organic.

FBA’s Director of Design, Meirion Wyn Jones said, “The brief was for a clean modern, European approach to reflect the pure nature of the product and its simplicity. Provenance is also a key factor in marketing cheese and therefore we have again focused on a distinctive bilingual design. The brand name Pont Gâr is very accessible and easy to pronounce whilst being distinctly different, being both Welsh and European.”

In Welsh (and French!), ‘Pont’ means bridge and Gâr derives from Sir Gâr, Welsh for Carmarthenshire. Gâr is also linked to the Welsh word for love (caru) – hence the abstract heart motif and the well-known Welsh phrase ‘Pur o Galon’ pure from the heart as a strapline.

Pont Gâr is currently available in delicatessen and specialist shops and the company is in discussion with major UK supermarkets and are due to launch their own online shop later this summer. The full product range including Blue, Smoked and Garlic & Herb varieties, are currently being rolled out in time for the official launch at the Royal Welsh Show.

For more information visit www.carmarthenshirecheese.co.uk