18th November 2025
cheese culture
Bernard Antony: The Maître's Delight.
Lunch time with Bernard Antony in his "living room".
Would I care for an espresso? — “Non, merci beaucoup.” I had already been served a coffee upon arriving this sunny Friday, the last day of October, in the quiet Rue Montagne of the sleepy village of Vieux-Ferrette.
Monsieur Bernard Antony briefly disappears from the little stübli of his fromagerie — a rustic, cozy room filled with the aroma of aged cheeses, furnished with solid oak, and steeped in memories from 83 eventful years. Photographs of past encounters, certificates, and medals adorn the walls — a musée en miniature, a small cosmos of lived history.
Moments later he returns. He has finished the espresso in one swift sip; and with him, his large, warm aura once again fills the room. I did not yet realize that the Maître would gift me the next two hours, that we would taste an exquisite selection of cheeses together, breathe in the intoxicating scent of the affinages in his legendary Sundgau cellars, and speak about the many facets of a life of pleasure beyond cheese.
What follows is far more than a simple interview with a man who counts among his friends King Charles, Emmanuel Macron, and Prince Albert of Monaco. It becomes a vivid, lingering encounter with an extraordinary personality — full of kindness, humility, modesty, and an infectious zest for life. When Maître Bernard Antony smiles — and the master cheesemaker from Alsace smiles often — his smile fills everything around him with quiet contentment, pure enjoyment of life, and above all: love.
The sleepy village of Vieux-Ferrette in the heart of Alsace is known above all for one name: Bernard Antony.
Monsieur Antony, you have shaken hands with many famous personalities. Which encounter do you recall with particular pleasure?
Bernard Antony: My great teacher, my master — the true pope of cheese! I myself am only a servant of cheese, and remain so to this day. I met Pierre Androuët in 1979. At that time, I was driving my sales van from village to village in southern Alsace. I carried a colorful assortment: brassieres, stockings, flour — and Ritter Sport! Then I met Pierre Androuët. He told me, “Think long-term. When the supermarkets come — what will you do then? Make cheese. I will show you how.” I had no idea then that he was already a renowned affineur in Paris. He introduced me to the art of affinage: Which cheeses do I wash with saltwater, which with Marc de Bourgogne? How often do you turn a wheel? What humidity do the cellars need? In 1983, I decided to sell only raw-milk cheeses. Crazy, isn’t it? My first clients and partners included Alain Ducasse, Vincent Moissonnier, the Schwarzwaldstube in Baiersbronn, and Le Jardin de France in Baden-Baden. And soon more followed: Harald Wohlfahrt, Pierre Gagnaire, Philippe Rochat — and later their students: Christian Bau, Sven Elverfeld. Even Kate & Kon from Austria are among my most loyal customers.
Your distinguished clientele grew rapidly. Today you supply nearly every three-star restaurant in the world, and prominent figures from politics, nobility, and the fine art of connoisseurship count among your most loyal patrons. Whose appreciation means the most to you?
Bernard Antony: Every person who makes the journey here matters to me. Many connoisseurs come from the tri-border region; others drive for hours just to queue in front of my little shop — it touches me deeply. I was fortunate to meet His Imperial Highness Otto von Habsburg on a very special day in 1992. A man of rare humility — and soon a close friend. I still keep all fifty letters we exchanged. His reply always came within eight days — handwritten, full of warmth. He visited me many times here, and I was invited to dinner at his home four times. The Princess cooked Hungarian goulash for us — exceptionnel! When he passed into the better world in 2011, I had the honor of joining his family in St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna to bid him farewell. A quiet, profoundly dignified moment.
"I was fortunate to meet His Imperial Highness Otto von Habsburg on a very special day in 1992." Another well-known name in Bernard Antony’s circle of friends: Emmanuel Macron.
The day you met His Imperial Highness Otto von Habsburg became memorable for another reason as well.
Bernard Antony: Yes, 1992 was a decisive year. At the time, the European Union wanted to ban products made from lait cru. Prince Charles was the first to speak out publicly against it. He wrote a six-page letter to the authorities, warning them that banning bacteria would destroy the soul of traditional French cheese. In June of that year, I served my cheeses at a buffet in the European Parliament in Strasbourg — among the guests was former French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. This event became a turning point: many influential figures across Europe soon advocated for French cheese tradition. I wrote a letter to Prince Charles to thank him.
Can you reveal a cheese that the current King of England particularly enjoys?
Bernard Antony: Even then, at the Château de Versailles, I wished to surprise him with a very special English cheese. For over twenty years now, I have carried a Stichelton — not Stilton — in my selection. Under English law, Stilton producers are obliged to pasteurize their milk. But Joe Schneider of the Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire wished to preserve the original recipe — the one that existed before pasteurization. On the northern edge of Sherwood Forest, he transforms the milk of his organically raised cows into a cheese of incomparable depth and elegance. He began his work in 2006 — and has long since made a name for himself. Stichelton is a remarkable cheese: powerful, nutty, with a delicate sweetness and notes of earth and forest. A cheese that no one in the royal household forgets once they have tasted it.
(He smiles, rises.) Wait a moment — I’ve had something prepared for you!
My ‘modest’ lunch during an incredibly enriching exchange about exquisite cheese specialties and how the individual cheeses were refined in terms of ripeness and flavor profile.
With a brisk stride, Monsieur Antony leaves the room — and already I am deeply moved by this warm conversation, which feels far less like an interview and far more like nostalgic reminiscing about the good old times. I consciously switch off the recorder and put my phone aside. From this moment on, I simply want to savor the time with the Maître. And savor is exactly what he offers: time, leisure — and a generous portion of love, arranged on a copper-colored plate holding nine exquisite cheeses from his selection of more than one hundred raw-milk varieties. Soon he returns, again with that energetic, buoyant step. He serves me a wonderful assortment of cheeses, accompanied by fresh farmhouse bread from the region. Quite naturally, almost casually, he says: “You must taste!”
And so we begin, piece by piece, to indulge — from Camembert to Mimolette, from Comté to Fourme d’Ambert. As we chat about the punctuality of Swiss trains compared to German ones, and wonder why the French appreciate the work of Emmanuel Macron — a good friend of the Maître — so little, I find myself already in a heavenly realm of cheese. The Brillat-Savarin from Burgundy particularly captivates me at that moment. I learn that Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was a man of the 18th century — politician, thinker, and gastronome. This cheese, created in his honor and belonging to the family of triple-crème cheeses, is made between Burgundy and Champagne and now carries a protected geographical indication. Its paste is pure white, its nose subtle, its flavor creamy with milky, buttery notes that develop a delicate, mushroomy depth as it matures. Pure delight. Much like our conversation, which — after this stellar lunch with the Maître — continues warmly, richly, and full of life.
On the right, the view for connoisseurs from all over the world. On the left, a behind-the-scenes look with the maître.
You radiate warmth and joy, and you seem filled with trust and optimism. Which qualities, do you think, also contribute to the reverence so many have for you as a Maître?
Bernard Antony: Ah, it’s very simple: it’s the good cheese — and the good wine. Both enrich life. Sometimes perhaps a bit too much wine. (laughs) Just yesterday I was in Paris again. I took the train at eight in the morning, met two friends, ate well, laughed a lot — and was back home by 11 p.m. Every two weeks I go to Paris and treat myself to a slice of joy. Sleep sometimes comes short. But you know — His Royal Highness also needed only a few hours of sleep. Empress Zita, he once told me, woke him every morning at five.
You have seen the world, and the world comes to your home — and yet you seem always to be on the move.
Bernard Antony: Vieux-Ferrette, Alsace — it is wonderful here. But you know, the world holds so much more beauty. Next week I’ll be traveling with friends to Baden-Baden, and soon after I will board a ship: from Athens to Italy, on to Algeria and Málaga — twelve days at sea. And I will welcome the new year in Marrakech — marvelous, isn’t it? Yet I am happiest when I return home, to my own bed, to the scent of my cellars, surrounded by my cheeses. Then the world is entirely with me again.
You are a lover of life in every sense, a hédoniste culturel. Your cheeses are cherished by people who have chosen exceptional quality for their choix de la vie. A philosophy shaped by product love, craftsmanship, and the pursuit of extraordinary pleasure. In which other areas has cheese taught you the importance of true quality?
Bernard Antony: I love opera. Twice I have attended the New Year’s Concert in Vienna, and I regularly spend the eight days of the Salzburg Festival there. I prefer to stay at the Hotel Sacher — a great name, a house full of history and tradition, upheld by an impressive family. Or imagine the deep basses and powerful tenors of the men’s choirs at the Andechs Monastery near Munich — when trombones and trumpets join in, it becomes pure magic. I love all forms of classical art — the Impressionists especially. The Musée d’Orsay in Paris is, to me, a temple of beauty, and the gardens of the Musée Rodin are places of quiet perfection. Pleasure can be found on so many levels. Good cheese and good wine are one — but art, music, friendship, travel: all are love. Life is a symphony — one must simply taste it, hear it, feel it.
"I am fortunate, however, to have such a capable son, supported by his wife. It is a gift to me that he finds such joy in our cheese world and has always felt committed to this craft"
Let us look toward the cold season and the Christmas holidays that are soon approaching. Which cheeses are traditionally served on your Christmas Eve?
Bernard Antony: At this time of year I am especially fond of Vacherin Mont d’Or — pure pleasure in autumn, accompanied by a fine Riesling, such as one from André Ehrhart in Alsace. The Christmas days themselves are very busy here at the fromagerie: guests wait patiently in line, and in the evening I will likely put my feet up. Jean-François celebrates Christmas in the old tradition with his wife, their children, the family beagle, and relatives — about twenty people. I, however, have outgrown that phase. Much changes, and that is as it should be.
What changes do you observe regarding the future of high-quality cheese affinage in France — and worldwide?
Bernard Antony: To be a fromagier means living for cheese seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. That no longer appeals to many younger people. I am fortunate, however, to have such a capable son, supported by his wife. It is a gift to me that he finds such joy in our cheese world and has always felt committed to this craft — or never seriously considered doing anything else. He is now an even greater perfectionist than I am, especially when it comes to the ideal harmonies of cheese and wine. And yet I look to the future with confidence, faith, and trust — even if one never knows what it will bring. My grandparents and parents lived through and survived two wars. To worry too much, and in doing so overlook the joy of the here and now, would be a shame in a world with so much pleasure. If God grants me His grace, then may the next ten years remain just as they are.
Antony Artisanal Cheese Purveyors
5 Rue de la Montagne, 68480 Vieux-Ferrette, France
website: www.fromagerieantony.fr
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bernard_antony_