Chapter Six: The Last Bit

Wrapping a gift might seem like a chore, but I love it. Creating a little perfect package that someone will receive is a wonderful feeling. I feel the same as we wrap up each Bon Anniversaire. David lifts each cheese and places the wheel on the paper. Joe wraps. Lift, fold, fold, turn, fold, turn, fold, tape. Next.

Over the next 4 months each cheese goes on holiday. It rests in its little blanket of protection. This wrapping allows the microorganisms to break down the interiors into a deliriously creamy paste that will melt on your plate if allowed to come to room temperature. The aroma when you first unwrap each wheel is heavy, strong and deliciously overwhelming. You must let it breathe, have a drink, a chat, a laugh and then dive in.

It is time. Bon Anniversaire is ready. It is real and makes me think of a quote from The Velveteen Rabbit on Becoming.

“The Boy loved him. He loved him so hard that he loved all his whiskers off, and the pink lining to his ears turned grey, and his brown spots faded. He even began to lose his shape, and he scarcely looked like a rabbit any more, except to the Boy. To him he was always beautiful, and that was all that the little Rabbit cared about. He didn't mind how he looked to other people, because the nursery magic had made him Real, and when you are Real and once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

Thank you to all who are on this adventure with us. We started this farm ten years ago, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Much like to Velveteen Rabbit, we have been loved. The farm’s magic has made us real and that has made all the difference.

Most Sincerely from,

Molly and the whole team here at The Grey Barn.