The written curd

Bill de la Hey of The Mainstreet Trading Company, a multi-award winning deli, bookshop & café in the Scottish Borders, chooses his best cheesy reads…

Reinventing the Wheel: Milk, Microbes and the Fight for Real Cheese Bronwen and Francis Percival 
Bloomsbury Publishing (2017)

For those applauding farmhouse cheesemaking and making a stand against mass industrial production. Looking at a sustainable future for cheese and how the natural environment informs cheesemaking led by wondrous microbes.

Cheese and Culture: A History of Cheese and Its Place in Western Civilisation 
Paul Kindstedt 
Chelsea Green Publishing (2013) 

For both those studying cheesemaking and the cheese geek. Covers a wealth of topics.

The Oxford Companion to Cheese 
Dr. Catherine Donnelly (editor)
Oxford University Press (2016)

A modern bible full of expert knowledge.

The Sheridans’ Guide to Cheese
Kevin and Seamus Sheridan
Transworld Ireland (2015)

Good for cheesemongers and food retailers – the story of the rise of a legendary Irish shop backed with interesting facts about the people, farming and history of cheesemaking.

Cheese
Patricia Michelson 
Jacqui Small LLP (2010)

Also good for cheese mongers and cheese eaters – a journey through hundreds of different varieties of cheese and the stories behind them.

Cheese: The essential guide to cooking with cheese
Michel Roux 
Quadrille Publishing (2017)

Over 100 wonderful recipes from the acclaimed French chef. Michel came to our shop for an author event and regaled us with unassuming stories of growing up eating and using cheese in France and then in his restaurants.

The Modern Cheesemaker: Making and cooking with cheeses at home
Morgan McGlynn 
White Lion Publishing (2018)

For the cheesemaking beginner. She also did a demo at the shop which showed us how achievable it is to make cheese at home. Good selection of recipes.

Cheese & Dairy: River Cottage Handbook No.16
Steven Lamb 
Bloomsbury Publishing (2018)

From the brilliant stable of handbooks for the the foodie and aspiring cheesemakers to a reasonable high level of skill. Extensive recipe section.

American Farmstead Cheese: The Complete Guide to Making and Selling Artisan Cheeses 
Paul Kindstedt
Chelsea Green Publishing (2005)

I’m part the way through this book. Technically sound and full of information for the budding cheese professional.

This story originally appeared in 2019-20 issue of Good Cheese, you can find the digital edition here.