Having a niche in the widely populated world of cafe culture is somewhat of an achievement in this day and age and for Rose Geraedts, building a business around what many people, mistakingly, believe is cheese on toast is a hell of a dice toss - but one that's paid off with visitors from around the UK - and sometimes further afield - stopping off at her business which is tucked away in the Brecon Beacons.
Rose runs The International Welsh Rarebit Centre in Defynnog, it's in a Victorian school building right on the A4215 pulling in passing cyclists, tourists and, perhaps most vitallyy, locals who love their small menu of drool-worthy takes on the classic Welsh teatime snack.
It is of course way more than 'cheese on toast' and especially in Defynnog, you'll find an Irish version, Spanish and Patagonian as well as the classic - the recipe for which has historically been a strong cheddar, a splash of beer, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
Read more: The street food cabin sat on a stunning Welsh beach selling amazing Mexican wraps
The Centre, which Rose opened six years ago and also sells coffee and cake, is often vaunted as being a 'delight' or 'the best place for lunch in the Brecon Beacons' by diners and Rose's enthusiasm and warm manner must be part of the reason why. The Dutch native, who tells me she's worked in cafes and delis for most of her life, proudly notes that she took a risk serving just rarebit, but she feels it's paid off as she's even won over the local WI.
"A lot of people were like 'what are you doing?'" Rose laughs. "'Are you not going to do any roasts? You're just going to do cheese on toast?' and I had to explain that it's not just cheese on toast it's much nicer. But it's paid off because, it's so specific and people love coming here."
The International Welsh Rarebit Centre, named so by Rose because she does rarebits influenced by different country's cuisines and she says that "I thought it makes it sound important, to be honest" in a dry humourous way, does showcase a bit of history about the dish and has regular exhibitions from local artists. Its name is a matter of intrigue for tourists and locals, too, and Rose frequently gets spam calls from companies touting for business, thinking she's a huge corporation.
So how did a Dutch person, who trained as an occupational therapist, end up in the middle of Wales turning out a classic Welsh recipe? Well, she moved to Wales after meeting her other half and after working at a cafe in Brecon where people would come in and ask for rarebit but left disappointed, she wondered if there was a gap in the market.
"I was hoping to start my own business for a while, but you know, it's hard, it's an expensive thing to do" she said. " But I was working in Brecon for someone and we had quite a few tourists who would come in and ask about rarebit, we didn't do it and I thought it was ridiculous. We do paninis and not Welsh rarebit, it's crazy. Then when this place came up, it's a really nice building, too and my brain went a bit crazy. I just remember sitting in the car thinking about all these different kind of rarebits you could do.
"I have toned it down a bit, it's a really simple menu which is nice. It means less waste for a start and I think there's just too much choice these days. People still come in, though and say 'oh my God there's so much choice!' But I sort of treat it like a Welsh pizza."
Rose has certainly made the most of the versatility of the dish and six years on she still clearly likes what she does going through the variations she's created, which sees the cafe use around 10 kilos of cheddar a week. "We've got the classic, Welsh rarebit, the Stout Irish, which is made with Guinness. The Spanish Chorizo, that's quite popular, it's got a lovely smokey chorizo mix underneath the classic cheesy top. And I always have a seasonal, right now that's caramelised apple, smokey cheddar, walnuts and rosemary. I've always enjoyed feeding people and cooking and combining flavours together - then I just figure out technically how to do it."
She's also hoping to one day get a Dutch special on the board, but the specific cheese she needs isn't available in the UK, she added: "I've got some whacky ideas for creating more rarebits. The trouble is, people like the menu as it is and it's really hard to take one off because the minute I do people are like 'not that one!'" It just goes to show that the locals have very much taken to the Rarebit Centre and Rose has even recently been invited to speak to the local Women's Institute.
"When I first opened, I'm kind of like in the middle of nowhere in a small village and the Women's Institute members, in their 70s and 80s were like 'what are you doing?'" she laughed. "It was amazing because they're quite a tough audience, very old school, but a few weeks ago they asked me to do a talk and that was nice - I've been accepted now!"
The fact that Rose is keeping the old school building going - it stopped being a working school back in 1947 - is also a bridge to the past for many of her regulars, with some former pupils of the school. "It's much more comfortable than it was back then," Rose said. "A few of the locals used to come here when it was a school, they come in and have a coffee and cake and they tell me some stories, I love that they can come back here because a lot of these buildings become residential."
With the popularity of the Centre, would Rose consider opening up more rarebit cafes? It's a nice idea she said, but she loves the uniqueness of the Defynnog place and the efforts people make to visit. She said: "Customers come in sometimes and they say 'oh, we've travelled two hours to come here' and I think 'no pressure then!' And they come from America and all over the place, and they always enjoy it, so it's really good here."
READ NEXT:
A new continental-style cafe is opening in Mumbles and they're giving everyone a free coffee
Plans approved for new KFC drive-thru in Cardiff to replace empty Pizza Hut
Wales' best restaurant and hotel crowned at the AA Hospitality Awards
Marco Pierre White surprises diners in Swansea by turning up at his own restaurant
