Cheddar Gorge : a book of English cheeses

Where can you read about a monstrous cheese big enough to hold a girl of 13 inside? Or that the invention of the bicycle directly, and poorly, impacted sales of cheddar? Or that some of the first cheese makers hid gold coins inside their wheels of dairy as a sales tool? Brethren, the writer calls you this because he hopes that you are 'cheese-minded' like himself. This classic and charming book, a timeless love letter to English cheeses was first published in 1937, newly rediscovered and charmingly illustrated by EH Shepard. It is a treasure trove of wonderful anecdotes including the tale of the monstrous cheese big enough to hold a 13-year-old inside, the Stilton that purred like a cat and the famous cheesemaker in Manchester who selected which Cheshire cheese to sell based on where the mice had been nibbling 'as they were the best judges of a good cheese'. Sir John Squire, a notable journalist of the time, collected together 'a galaxy of talent', with the aim of making this 'one of the most delightful and entertaining gift books that has ever been published'. Each of the distinguished ten contributors champion an individual cheese, setting forward their passionate and compelling arguments, celebrating the differences and delights of each type. Through their explorations, the chequered beauties of the English landscape unfolds. It will certainly whet the appetite for English cheese, for that is ultimately what matters most, as after all 'the only way to learn about cheese is to eat it.' "This book is a charming timeless love letter to British cheeses written in a sweet, narrative style by 11 different writers from all over the UK, including Oscar Wilde's son, Vyvyan Holland, and accompanied by charming, quirky illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard, better known for his timeless Winnie the Pooh illustrations. The book is a celebration of the differences and delights of English cheeses, plundering literature and local lore and more. Covering Stilton, Cheddar, Cheshire, Double Gloucester, Leicester, Wensleydale, Caerphilly, Dunlop, Irish and Blue Vinny, each cheese has its own chapter."--Provided by publisher Following a letter in The Times in 1937 about the difficulty of sourcing Stilton, Sir John Squire asked ten writers to raise awareness of local cheeses by recording the provenance and mythology relating to their favourite. Their entertaining and often humorous anecdotes, reprinted here with illustrations by EH Shepard, reveal an artisanal world as much under threat from mass production then as it is today.