Our Story

An Unlikely Beginning

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In 1983, Robert Pouget and his friend Gerry Stevens joined forces to establish a cheese shop in Oxford’s covered market, despite their unlikely backgrounds. Pouget, an artist and furniture designer, and Stevens, a manager of various pop groups, embarked on this venture. The cheese shop quickly gained popularity in Oxford, as there were few specialized cheese shops at the time, making it a delightful novelty.

In 1986, Robert Pouget founded the Oxford Cheese Company, which acquired the cheese shop in Oxford’s Covered Market. The company began wholesaling English and continental cheese to Oxford colleges and city restaurants. Concurrently, they launched a parallel operation from a production kitchen in Oxford City, focusing on the production and marketing of vegetarian food.

Oxford Blue

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In 1995, Robert Pouget introduced Oxford Blue, a cheese reminiscent of Stilton but with a creamier texture, particularly as it aged. Oxford Blue has since become one of the most sought-after blue cheeses in England and is widely available at reputable independent food retailers.

The Oxford Cheese Company expanded its brand portfolio to include Oxford Isis, a washed rind cheese which has proved very popular with top London Restaurants. Additionally, they launched the Oxford Provender range of chutneys and jams, all produced in the company’s production kitchen in Oxford City.

Oxford Sauce

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In 2000 to celebrate the millennium Baron Pouget created a new sauce which was manufactured at his production kitchen in the city of Oxford. He named it “Oxford Sauce’ even though there had been a little-known 18th Century derivative of cumberland sauce by the same name – but the old recipe proved too sweet and insipid for the Baron’s taste so he set about creating his own version using an exciting blend of ingredients.

The Baron is currently focusing on consolidating production of his brands and his primary objective is to develop an exceptional range of vegetarian and vegan products.

He divides his time between Oxford, where his production and distribution business is located, and Cornwall, where he pursues his passion for painting. https://robertpougetpainter.com