Jonny and Dulcie Crickmore began producing Baron Bigod in 2013 at their farm near Bungay, Suffolk. Having farmed dairy Holsteins for many years, and finding themselves ever more susceptible to the vagaries of the commodity milk market, they spent several years researching their options, visiting many other cheesemakers and Neal’s Yard Dairy in the process. We recommended that they consider making a large-format Brie style cheese, as it remained one of the few Continental styles unmatched by serious British competition. They approached the task with rigour, seeking guidance from leading French consultant Ivan Larcher and going so far as to buy in Montbeliarde cows from eastern France whose milk—unlike Holsteins, who are bred primarily for ‘quantity over quality’—is specifically optimised for cheese production. The result is a cheese both like and unlike a traditional Brie de Meaux: with a character all of its own.

Milk: Raw Cow’s Milk, farms own milk

Coagulant: Animal Rennet

Additional information