He may be the floppy-haired bassist of one of Britain’s most iconic bands but Blur’s Alex James is refreshingly humble, about both his part in the legendary Britpop four-piece but also his other successful ventures. As well as cheese-making and putting on his own festival, The Big Feastival, he is now dipping his toes into wine production.
When we speak to Alex, 55, from the Cotswolds farm he shares with his wife Claire Neate and their five children, the enthusiasm he has for his latest venture is palpable. And he’s named his range of sparkling wines none other than “Britpop”.
Let’s talk Britpop then – from music to cheese, now wine…
I guess monks would have made music, wine and cheese… That’s what I love about living on my farm – it’s a bit of a hermitage (except when 25,000 people descend on it on the August bank holiday weekend for Feastival). And yeah, who’d have thought English wine would ever be a thing?! It’s an incredible story. We’ve had the great British cheese explosion – having made one kind of cheese after the Second World War, to making more types of cheese now than France.
English wine has an even more incredible story – there was no commercially available English wine available in 1990. In a very short space of time, we’ve gone from amateurs to world champions. It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of.
So was this a natural progression, after conquering the cheese market?
I rolled out a cider at Feastival, which proved really popular – a good place to start.
Denne historien er fra August 05, 2024-utgaven av OK! UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 05, 2024-utgaven av OK! UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
GASTRONOMIC GETAWAY
Set sail on this European P&O cruise, where culinary delights await you at sea and on land
HIGHLIGHTING WOMEN'S HEALTH
September is PCOS awareness month so we take a closer look at the complex condition that affects around one in 10 women in the UK
FAMILY FIRST: 'I feel I'm coming into my peace and my power'
Mum, author and former reality star Kate Ferdinand opens up about juggling motherhood with me-time, thriving in her thirties and her surprisingly simple wedding anniversary wish
RUNAWAY SUCCESS: KELLY'S TIME TO SHINE
As Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes hosts a Victory Revisited party, she tells OK! why she finally feels content
FIGHTING FOR CHANGE: 'I get mum guilt all the time'
EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy is championing working mums, and tells us about her own very, very hectic' home life
DEFINITELY NOT MAYBE: LIAM AND NOEL REUNITED FOR OASIS TOUR
Some might say the Oasis reunion is the best news we've had all year. Here, we look back at the Gallagher brothers’ stormy history
FIGHTING BACK: 'It was like I had a second chance at life'
Stage and screen star Brenda Edwards shares her experience of surviving cancer as she launches a special exhibition to help others
VICKY TIES THE KNOT!
Reality TV star Vicky Pattison looked the picture of happiness when she married Ercan Ramadan in front of her nearest and dearest
MILESTONE MOMENT: FAMILY MAN HARRY TURNS 40
As the Duke of Sussex celebrates his 40th birthday, we take a look at his evolution from playful prince to proud husband and father
IT TAKES THREE: 'When Aljaž became a dad, I fell in love with him all over again'
Presenter and dancer Janette Manrara invites us into her gorgeous home to talk motherhood and her next chapter