Years ago,on my first professional trip to Spain and my first ever press junket, I met a charming young British journalist named Juliet Harbutt. I was quite taken with her and we enjoyed many long conversations about food, cheese and life on the seemingly interminable bus rides through the plains of La Mancha and Extremadura, and over dinners during the week we were all together. A native New Zealander, she had founded Jeroboams Wine & Cheese Shop in London, and she was gaining a reputation for her knowledge of both. A lovely woman, she had a lively wit and a wonderfully engaging mind. I never saw her again after that trip, but her name has come up throughout my subsequent career although, sadly, our paths have never crossed. I live in hope. Anyway, it was with great pleasure that I have been able to write about “World Cheese Book,” her latest tome and perhaps one of the two or three best books on the subject I’ve ever read. I urge everyone remotely connected to the cheese business, and certainly any cheese lover, to get and read this marvelous tribute to one of the best foods on earth.
To give equal time to the other half of this magazine’s title, I paid a visit to Fabrique Délices, a fantastic producer of authentic artisan French charcuterie, and the subject of this month’s “Passport” column (page 5). I have long been a big fan of the company’s products, and it was a real joy to see the plant and get to know the men behind the label, all very passionate about food and the work they do. In fact, my only negative thought was in wondering how I had never made the drive down there before. I hope to go back soon.
We also have Part One of “Report From the Trenches” (page 14) with a bevy of great new products from the Summer Fancy Food Show for those who couldn’t attend or those that might have missed seeing them. As usual, we’re pleased to have Margaret Eckert reporting on the “Rules & Regulations” (page 22) of the industry that affect us all. As we bid adieu to a long, dry summer (here in California anyway), I wish everyone a happy and successful fall season.
James Mellgren,
Managing Editor, Fine Cheese & Charcuterie
jmellgren@gourmetbusiness.com