Ned Palmer

A delightful "sequel" to Palmer's A Cheesemonger's History of The British Isles, this book focusing more intensely on current makers across England, Scotland, and Ireland. As an American, I found this book to be a kind of torture as there are so many cheeses listed therein that I simply can't get stateside, but I can only hope that more will be imported in the coming years. Each cheese has about one page of description and reaction by Palmer, his voice ever-exuding friendly enthusiasm, followed by a charming illustration of the cheese. The end of the book has a brief section with advice on things like serving cheeses and assembling cheese boards, plus lists for which cheeses in the book use vegetarian and traditional animal rennets.… (más)

I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but I got this book for Christmas - from someone who knows how much I love cheese - and it's one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. Everything I ever wanted to know about the history of British cheese and then some. It was informative, entertaining, and made me want to go cheese shopping! It had a lot of detail about some of my favourite cheeses - I especially enjoyed the chapter about Stilton - and I loved reading about the Nottingham cheese war. I'm from Nottinghamshire and I'd never even heard of it! It was also good to learn about some of the cheesemakers themselves, as well as what they produce. Overall it's a very good book and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves cheese.… (más)

I fun frolic of a book for those, like me, who love cheese and history! Palmer is a cheesemonger and he knows his subject well, having not only sold the cheese but interacted with and even made cheese with the small-operation makers. There's no snobbery here, though--the mood of the book is enthusiastic for cheese. That's something I can totally get behind.

There is mild overlap with some other books on cheese, notably Kinstedt's Cheese and Culture, but not that much, as Palmer goes much deeper into historical British cheese than any other book I have read. He hones in on some specific cheeses like Wensleydale, Cheshire (new life goal: become a cheese pirate), and Lanark Blue to explore the revolution of cheese as a food and as an industry, bringing the narrative right up to the present day. The book is fascinating throughout, a breezy read that is also informative. I felt the need to share factoids with my husband as I read in the evening.

I highly recommend this book to other cheese lovers, but be warned--if you're not in the UK, it will torment you to read about so many cheeses that are not readily found abroad! Oh, how I yearn to find that Stonebeck cheese...… (más)