Jonny Crickmore of Fen Farm Dairy in Bungay received his Entrepreneur of the Year accolade at the 2026 BizX Awards in front of an audience of 1200 business leaders.

The annual awards was the culmination of a three-day immersive business conference held at the ICC in Newport, Wales.

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Bungay dairy farmer Jonny Crickmore, left, receiving his Entrepreneur of the Year award at BizX (Image: BizX)

The event - founded by global business coaching company AdCoach - aims to celebrate businesses, leaders, and teams "who are actually doing it, building something real, creating impact, and refusing to settle for average".

The dairy farmer was praised for "building something from nothing in a short space of time - taking risks, overcoming obstacles, and creating opportunity for others".

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Jonny and wife Dulcie diversified into making a brie-style cheese called Baron Bigod in 2012 after getting fed up at being at the mercy of supermarkets over milk prices.

They embarked on a research tour of the UK and Europe to learn from some of the world’s best cheesemakers - which led to purchasing 72 Montbéliarde cows from the Jura region, whose milk is prized for cheesemaking.

A year later, their award-winning Baron Bigod went on sale, and can now be found in the finest delis, restaurants and cheese counters around the world - alongside their Bungay Butter and other premium dairy produce.

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“It’s an absolute honour to pick up this award,” said Jonny.

“Our journey at the farm has led us to delve deep into what makes food truly great. What it means to genuinely nourish people.

"Looking back, the risks we’ve taken over the years have been significant.

"But so was the alternative - which was standing still. Entrepreneurship has meant betting on ourselves, again and again, and building something stronger each time - with the support of a passionate team.”

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Fen Farm Dairy has recently announced it will be opening a third farm shop in Darsham on the A12, having established one at the farm and another at Eye airfield.

It ships its handmade produce directly to customers’ doorsteps around the country - and more than 1000 members receiving regular deliveries of their raw milk, cheese, butter and other products.

© Eastern Daily Press