It has always struck me as odd that we divide books into discrete categories: eg stories, coffee table (with great pictures), social history and biography. And of course they all have their own stereotypical styles. A story book is usually printed on cheap paper but aims to be riveting, coffee table books are expected to be beautiful but bland and never ever put humanity into social history!

If that's how you like your books then don't read 'The Buttercup', because it breaks all these rules. It is a great story, has the looks and quality of a coffee table book and brings human feeling into social history.

And it needed to be produced this way, because Andrew Ewing and the Buttercup were much more than a collection of historical facts, and most of the pictures are stunning. What’s more, I was brought up in this culture, so am able to tell the story from the perspective of someone who has an emotional tie to the company and its people. The Buttercup: The Remarkable Story of Andrew Ewing and the Buttercup Dairy Company. See also http://www.buttercupdairycompany.co.uk/