A Cheesemonger’s Tour de France

by Ned Palmer

Charles de Gaulle famously said it was impossible to govern a country with 246 different cheeses. And perhaps he was right. Every French cheese carries an essence of the place where it's made - its history, identity and landscape. Sometimes that's a physical thing, as the hard texture of Comté echoes its rugged Alpine home. Other times it's about power and politics - Brie swelling to royal dimensions due to its proximity to the French court, or Camembert gaining national status after being supplied in patriotic boxes to First World War soldiers.

In A Cheesemonger's Tour de France, Ned Palmer wends his way around the country's regions, meeting the remarkable cheesemakers who carry the torch for France's oldest and most intense traditions. As he explains the mysteries of terroir and why each of those different fromages taste as they do, he shows that a French cheeseboard offers genuine insights into la Belle République.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, France, History

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2024

About the author

Ned Palmer is a British cheesemonger and author, and a former jazz pianist. He has worked as an affineur for Neal's Yard Dairy

Reviews

[Beth Cato · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book, and a worthy successor to Palmer's book on Britain. He guides readers on a journey around France to visit cheesemakers and affineurs, with insights into history that made specific cheese into what it was and is now. The most frustrating thing is that most of the cheeses aren't available in the US!

[Alex Gravina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A second incredible book from Palmer. The structure and vibe of the book is a bit different from the first (tour not history) but once I settled into the rhythm of it, it was very enjoyable.

There were a few typos so perhaps another run through by an editor would be good!

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discover the locations in the novel here



If you love cheese or even if you don't, this book is fascinating. I am a huge cheese lover and found myself hunting down the cheeses in the book, purely to test them and see if I agreed with Ned haha. What a wonderful way of showcasing both France and cheese through a mega cheese booktrail. The people he meets along the way, the old methods of making cheese and the places it is sold...what wonderful stories! Break off a good  bit of bread and get dipping into these cheesefest of a read. More please!

[Leoniepeonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very chill, enjoyable read. It took me a while to get through because as conversational as it was, it really was densely packed with information, and I massively applaud the level of research Palmer has done, once again! I would've really liked there to have been a map of France or even of each region discussed to ground the book a bit more, and I found myself trying to do a lot of my own internet searching alongside the reading. Not always being in a position to do that (on a plane or a train) took away from what I was taking in and gave me less of a framework for the detail.

It doesn't feel altogether fair to compare this to Palmer's earlier work, but his writing on the British Isles felt more engaging to me, even while this book is packed with great stories and interesting cheese-making. I'd still recommend it to anyone who can't get enough of ~the good stuff~, though, and I've got a hefty list of cheeses to try during future trips!!

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this quite as much as A Cheesemonger's History of The British Isles. It's more of a foodie travelogue, and the cheese and wine pairings often felt a bit unaccessible without actually travelling to the place where it's made. Maybe that's the point, but it did verge on pretension here and there. I liked the little bits of history and there are a handful of new to me cheeses I would now try if I saw them.

[Chris Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book, following on from Palmer's also excellent book on British cheese. I think perhaps what I enjoyed most is his sheer determination to enjoy life (and specifically, cheese). He writes in a very breezy manner, is well read and informative, and makes you want to eat huge amounts of excellent French cheese (which thankfully I managed, tasting some of those mentioned in the volume). What more could you want from a French holiday read?

Not a minus point against the author but I did find quite a lot of fairly basic SPG errors. Is it me or has editing/proofreading got pretty sloppy these days?

Also, my physical copy literally fell apart, so maybe bookbinding quality has dropped too? Or perhaps it just collapsed in the baking heat of the Dordogne where I read it.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply fantastic! Ned knows his cheese, and his passion for the stuff seeps through every page. An amazingly evocative writer, you can virtually smell and taste each variety as you go mthrough the book.

If you love cheese, then this is a must buy.

If you only like cheese, then this book will make you love it.

And if you dont like cheese, then after reading this, youll be a convert!

A masterpiece, and a true Homage to Fromage!

[Malcolm Schaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This works on two levels, as a descriptor of France’s major cheeses and as a tour of some of the most significant areas of France .It does get very detailed when it comes to the cheeses and their making but there is a really helpful summary at the end .It also brings home the dedication and family history of the cheese makers .The author knows his stuff about cheese but unlike many is not pofsced and displays a good sense of humour .Read his book on British cheesemakers it’s equally good

[Malte F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made me make a list of new cheeses to try. Wonderful written stories about people who are dedicated to their craft. The passion of both these and the writer shines through. Works both as an explanation on what makes cheese special, a travel log sending you all across France

[Katie Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous read by Ned!

[James Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It made me want to meander around France eating cheese. I also felt I learned a lot about where the cheeses I live come from.

[Soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book for a cheese fanatic!