Can a tiny Suffolk cheesemonger make brie better than the French?

Once the preserve of the gastronomically righteous, Baron Bigod – produced in small numbers the old-fashioned way on a tiny Suffolk farm – has reached worldwide acclaim. Even the late Queen loved it. But what’s the secret of its meteoric rise, asks Josh Barrie. And, more importantly, what do the French think of British cheesemakers playing at being les grand fromages?

Baron Bigod is taking the cheese world by storm (Fen Farm Dairy)

Little under 10 years ago, at a preview for the Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival, dairy farmers Jonny and Dulcie Crickmore were introducing greedy types to their new cheese. “We shipped 17 Montbéliarde cows over from France,” Jonny said at the time. “We did the research and found they would be best for the job.”

Handing out samples, Jonny and Dulcie billed their cheese as an “English brie”, a near-mystic creation as rich and creamy as any from France. Murmurings of appreciation reverberated around the Suffolk field. Remember the name: Baron Bigod.

In the early days, Baron Bigod, from Bungay, was largely a preserve of the gastronomically righteous: those who shopped at Neal’s Yard, the upmarket, Britain-focused cheesemonger; diners who frequented the most in-tune Michelin-starred establishments; a lucky few with little else to do and who happened to be invited along to try it. However it was chanced upon, anyone who got hold of a wedge soon heralded the name.