John Crouch

BBC chef and national magazine columnist John Crouch is a familiar figure at food shows throughout the country. After arriving in Cumbria in 1981 - his previous career included a ten-year stint at Vogue magazine in London - his freewheeling style and love of great food quickly made him a household name in his adopted county. “John loves Grasmere Gingerbread to bits,” says Joanne, “and he is full of energy and great fun to work with. He is a wonderful ambassador for our product and some of his food stories are absolutely amazing. We get lots of new visitors to our shop thanks to John.”

Nowadays, he divides his time between Cumbria and Mumbai - from where his wife Heather’s family originate - and recently cooked Cumbrian specialities for the cream of Bollywood. John paid tribute to Grasmere Gingerbread with his own recipe ‘Damson Cheesecake Crush’. “He inspires everyone he meets, his enthusiasm is infectious and working with John is pure pleasure,” says Joanne. 

DAMSON CHEESECAKE CRUSH
200g (8oz) Grasmere gingerbread crumbs
250ml (10floz) whipping cream
200g (8oz) soft cheese
25g (1oz) caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 meringue nests
6 tablespoons damson jam
2 tablespoons damson gin
4 mint sprigs

Divide the gingerbread crumbs between 4 sundae glasses. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape then mix with the soft cheese, sugar and vanilla. Break the meringue nests into pieces, fold into the mix then spoon on top of the crumbs. Mix the damson jam and damson gin together and spoon on top of the cheesecakes. Decorate with mint sprigs before serving.

“Grasmere Gingerbread is one of my favourite Cumbrian foodstuffs - tangy and wickedly chewy.”

John Crouch