Adnams and local produce; it’s the perfect Christmas get-together. We’re elevating the moments that matter by bringing the things that delight us together. In the spirit of pairing and sharing, our second local producer focus introduces our friends at Fen Farm Dairy, champions of the Christmas cheeseboard.
Fen Farm is an innovative third-generation family farm in Bungay in Suffolk. Their aim is to set the standard for dairy sustainability. In a few short years, Fen Farm products have taken the UK food scene by storm. Their Baron Bigod cheese has become a beloved menu staple of top chefs and is known to frequently grace the tables of Royalty. Their happy herd of Montbeliarde cows graze the fertile marshland of the Waveney River Valley and they are making their nourishing milk into the finest dairy products.
Fen Farm believes in the importance of connecting people to the food they eat and the farm from which it came – sentiments we can certainly get behind. We think their Baron Bigod the perfect pairing for our vivacious Petit Chablis, with its vibrant food-friendly acidity. It’s a heavenly combination that will certainly stimulate after-dinner conversation this Christmas.
“Baron Bigod is the finest traditional Brie-de-Meaux style cheese produced in the UK and one of only a handful of its type in the world to be made by the farmer on the farm,” said Fen Farm’s Dulce Crickmore.
“It is a unique expression of the incredible milk of our free-ranging Montbeliarde cows and the diversity of our wildlife-rich grazing marshland. Beneath the nutty, mushroomy rind, Baron Bigod has a smooth, silky golden breakdown which will often ooze out over a delicate, fresh and citrussy centre.” It’s a great match for the apple and lemon flavours found in our Petit Chablis.
“We also make a fabulous raw cultured butter called Bungay Butter. It's made with our grass fed milk, with Maldon Sea Salt flakes for extra crunch, she added.”
The team at Fen Farm believe it is their responsibility to be excellent stewards of the land they farm and the delicate ecosystems that live there. Their mission is to become carbon negative and almost all of their energy comes from renewable sources including a unique cow-poo powered heat exchange system and solar battery storage.
Describing themselves as ‘curd nerds’ the family has taken the farm from strength to strength, diversifying with the addition this pioneering cheese and butter making business. Their focus is on making exceptional artisan products, as well as helping other dairy farmers on their journey to diversification.
And what is their Christmas table essential? What are the things that make Christmas extra special in their home? “The cheese board of course!” enthused Dulce. “Our dream Christmas board will be made up of real British farmhouse cheeses, made by the farmer, on the farm. Each-and-every farm has its own unique flavour and aroma profile which shines through in their cheese. Exploring these differences is one of the greatest joys of a British farmhouse cheese board.”
Products from Fen Farm Dairy are available in selected Adnams stores.
You can also visit their website here.