Baron Robert Pouget, owner of Oxford Fine Food, takes us on a gastronomic tour of Oxford, Britain’s most photogenic city
Begin by heading to Oxford Market, which is where Robert started his own Oxford journey...
“I came into cheese and fine foods by mistake. You know how it is. You’re trundling along and the next thing you know, you’re a cheesemonger. In 1984, my friend Gerry, who was a roadie for The Police, and I popped into The Covered Market in Oxford for a snack. And I thought, “you know what, this would make a great location for a cheese shop.” As I was living in Paris at the time, I was getting the chance to sample some fantastic cheeses – why shouldn’t I start making my own?”
Now you’re going to have to try a few of his cheeses...
“When Gerry and I started Oxford Fine Food, there was no blue cheese being made in Britain, aside from stilton. I decided that we should develop a semi-soft blue cheese (similar to dolcelatte). By the mid 90s, I’d created Oxford Blue with the help of Steve Peace, who, at the time was in charge of Hartington creamery. It won a British Cheese Awards Silver medal in 1995, and Waitrose wanted to stock it. We were the only people out there making anything like it at the time!”
“After that we made Oxford Isis, a washed rind cheese. It’s washed with proper, locally sourced honey mead – the real sticky, smelly sweet stuff. Our third cheese is Oxford White, a lovely soft brie with delicious truffle cream in the middle.”
And if you like spice, pick up a bottle of his Oxford Sauce...
“In 2000 I wanted to create a sauce to celebrate the
