The self-taught Suffolk farmer who has just won an award for best British cheese, writes JANE FRYER
Some successes are a bitmore unexpected than others. Jonny Crickmore — a muddy and ruddy dairy farmer from Bungay in Suffolk — is still reeling from the shock of his big moment.
That’s because his Baron Bigod — a homemade Brie de Meaux-style cheese — is causing a right old stir, with every food critic seeming to love it. From Raymond Blanc’s double Michelin starred Le Manoir in Oxfordshire to some of the best restaurants in Paris, top chefs want it on their menus.
What’s more, the cheese seems to be pretty much the only thing the Royal Family is able to agree on right now: they’re all completely mad for it.
Harry and Meghan served it at their wedding breakfast in a toasted croissant with bacon. The King is a massive fan. Princess Anne loves it so much she often buys herself a huge kilo wheel of the stuff and would regularly send a 250g portion to the late Queen, no matter where she was.
Johnny Crickmore, (pictured) the maker of Baron Bigod — a homemade Brie de Meaux-style cheese — is causing a right old stir, as every food critic seems to love it
‘Sandringham, Balmoral, Windsor . . . we always checked so we knew it was for the Queen. It was nice to think Her Majesty was enjoying it,’ says Jonny.
If any further praise were needed, Baron Bigod has just been voted best British cheese brand in the Fine Food Digest Awards.
Such plaudits would be a cause for massive celebration among even the most established cheesemakers in the land — but this is Jonny’s first cheese.
He’s a third generation dairy farmer who had no formal training, other than a very short crash course a decade ago from a globally renowned French-born cheese expert called Ivan Larcher, whom he bribed to stay a second day with the promise of a £14.95 mixed grill from the local pub. Jonny can’t even cook, for goodness’ sake.
‘Winning was a bit of a shock,’ he says. ‘We’d been placed a couple of times but when I read we’d won, I was eating my lunch of peanut…
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