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 is currently working on a third, A Cheesemonger’s Tour of France.

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.

In 2014 Ned set up the Cheese Tasting Company to bring cheese to the people, and still travels around Britain and the rest of Europe visiting cheesemakers, hearing their stories and tasting their cheeses to bring the best and most fascinating examples to share with you and your friends.