Join us for a mouth-watering book tour of French food with cheesemonger extraordinaire Ned Palmer and travel writer par excellence Carolyn Boyd. With cheese and wine provided by our friends at l'affinage, this evening will be truly delicious.

Date:
Tuesday 15th October

Venue:
Bradbury Hall, Waterford Rd, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4BT

Time:
Doors at 19:00. Food and discussion is served at 19:30. Ending approximately 21:00

Tickets:
Ticket with 3 cheeses and a glass of wine or soft drink - £17.50
Ticket with 5 cheeses and a glass of wine or soft drink - £21.00

Each ticket comes with three or five 30g portions of cheese (chosen by Ned), a piece of Membrillo (quince jelly), a baked Dotato fig and a segment of apple.

Add a book, or two, to your ticket:
A Cheesemonger's Tour de France by Ned Palmer - £16.99
Amuse Bouche: How to eat your way around France by Carolyn Boyd - £16.99

You don't need to bring your ticket with you, we will have a list of names on the door.
You will need to have bought a ticket, rather than just a book, to attend though.
Books will also be available to buy on the night, priced £16.99.

ABOUT A Cheesemonger's Tour de France (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 mountainous home in the Jura. 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 cheesemongers who carry the torch for France's oldest and most treasured 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.

ABOUT Amuse Bouche: How to eat your way around France (Carolyn Boyd)

'A perfect balance of history, food, anecdotes and recommendations ... Carolyn's enthusiasm for French gastronomy is legendary'
Michel Roux Jr

What makes a real salade niçoise? What type of cheese is officially France's stinkiest? Why does the sandy carrot have such a superior flavour? And who exactly are the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Giant Omelette? Leading expert on French food and culture Carolyn Boyd shares the stories behind the country's most fascinating foods and ingredients.

Spanning every region of France and divided into 200 separate vignettes, each entry blends history and travel, personal anecdote and recipes. Amuse Bouche is a book to be devoured: a beautifully illustrated, joyous celebration of French food, and a charming, practical guide to inspire your own travels - whether you're a proud Francophile or don't know your ficelle from your flûte.

ABOUT NED PALMER

Ned Palmer, ‘the UK’s leading expert on cheese’ according to noted gourmet Tom Watson, is the author of the best-selling A Cheesemonger’s History of the British Isles, published in 2019 and shortlisted for the André Simon, Fortnum and Mason's and Guild of Food Writers awards in 2020. Ned published his second book A Cheesemonger’s Compendium of British and Irish Cheese in 2021, and A Cheesemonger’s Tour of France is his latest book.

Ned began his career as a cheesemonger at Borough Market in November 2000 when he tried a piece of Trethowan’s Gorwydd Caerphilly. Cheesemaker Todd Trethowan quickly sent Ned to work at the great British cheese shop Neal’s Yard Dairy, largely to stop the ceaseless flow of cheese questions. Ned worked there for six years on the retail counter, looking after cheese in the cellars and traveling around Britain meeting cheese makers.