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The Cheese Cure

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What to expect

‘A wonderful book.' Cathy Rentzenbrink

‘A remarkable tale’ The Spectator

A giant wheel of Comté – a cheese full of delight, a mosaic of flavour – can sometimes become flat. Despite all that’s gone into making it and caring for it, its complexity mysteriously vanishes, its spark dies. Cheesemongers know that. That’s why they regularly test the cheeses: they insert a cheese iron deep into the wheel and extract a sample from its core. Sometimes they can cure it and sometimes they can’t.

A highly successful BBC and Guardian Journalist, somehow Michael Finnerty's life had become flat. His psychological cheese iron told him he needed to make a change, and he becomes convinced his salvation lies in cheese. Michael becomes an apprentice cheesemonger at Borough Market, and is plunged into a world of intense physicality, extraordinary knowledge, and total geeky passion. From learning the cheese's personal nighttime riders – Castillon Frais needs to sit in its box underneath some waxed paper but its box needs to be kept in a plastic sheath, Comté sits unwrapped in a cool cupboard, and has a quick saline bath before bed – to learning intricate ways to wrap their different shapes; from being able to taste nuances between the cheeses, to slicing fingers, bruising toes, getting allergic reactions, and the simple dog-tiredness of being on your feet from the crack of dawn till night, Michael's new job is more demanding than he could ever have imagined – and he loves it. Then when Borough Market is subjected to a terrifying attack, Michael realises through cheese, he has found something even more powerful – community.

Critics Review

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‘A remarkable tale … Finnerty’s in love with cheese, passionately, and it shows’ The Spectator

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'A joy to read. Finnerty introduces us to a cast of London characters (cheesemongers and customers) almost too perfect to be real, while quietly imparting serious knowledge through vivid descriptions and fun facts about irresistible cheeses you will want to taste immediately. The Cheese Cure will delight both the curious newcomer to cheese world and the seasoned expert who recognises their own journey through the cheese counter.' Carlos Yescas, Book Author and Cheese Expert / Judge.

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‘A passionate and evocative memoir of the cheesemonger’s craft, and the healing power of cheese.’ Ned Palmer, bestselling author of A Cheesemonger's History of The British Isles

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‘I’m completely smitten by this wonderful book. Michael’s voice is so engaging and his world jumps off the page. I feel very enriched, both by the reading experience and by the pleasure I am now taking in choosing and eating delicious cheeses. Michael is a fantastic and nourishing guide.' Cathy Rentzenbrink, bestselling author of Ordinary Time

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'The Cheese Cure transported me straight back to Borough Market and into a beige apron, mongering alongside Michael, with his beaming smile & contagious “joie de vivre”. His writing is as engaging as his cheese mongering, with every customer delighted by the unexpected yet fascinating narrative journey Michael takes them on whilst simply purchasing cheese.' Emma Young, Author of The Cheese Wheel

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