The Cheese Cure by Michael Finnerty (Mudlark £16.99, 320pp) 

If you found yourself browsing in London's Borough Market on November 29, 2019, it is likely that you would have been caught up in the tragedy of the Fishmongers' Hall attack. 

In the confusion you may have taken cover in a nearby shop, hidden behind a stall, or found refuge in the winding streets. What you might not have done is ended up in a cheesemonger's fridge.

Yet that is exactly what happened to cheesemongering trainee Michael Finnerty. He, along with fellow monger Cian, ushered the three customers who had not yet fled into the large walk-in fridge behind their stall. After many tense minutes, uncertain updates from the work group chat, and the heroic notion of making a stand with blunt cheese knives if an attacker got in, they finally heard it was safe to emerge.

This is but one of the many unexpected episodes in this delightful cheesemongering memoir that is a persuasive ode to midlife career changes.

Years of early mornings hosting a popular breakfast show on Canadian radio had left Finnerty burnt out and in need of a change. A six-month sabbatical was the answer, so he packed his bags and headed to London. Yet, after failing to get a job as a waiter, Finnerty felt almost more stuck than before.

But not all hope was lost. While wandering around Borough Market, Finnerty spots an ad for a cheesemonger and makes the snap decision to apply. So begins his foray into the world of epoisses, vacherin, munster and perail. Finnerty takes us from the probationary stages of badly wrapped goat's cheese, rude customers and cleaning detergent-induced welts, to being a fully fledged monger and valued member of the team. 

His colleagues seem like a dream bunch, and the other stall owners in the market are akin to characters you might find in a Dickens novel. I found myself smiling every time Bernie and Maria appeared with a bacon roll and cup of tea.

But at the core of this book are the customers, from the delightful German woman who could not find good bread in London and delivered a freshly baked home-made loaf to Finnerty after the Fishmongers' attack, to the couple who finally got engaged after their entire courtship had played out in front of the stall.

 Happily, we see Finnerty extend his sabbatical so he can stay for a little longer and work through Christmas. I had been worrying about him leaving them out of the blue so was pleased by this outcome. We also witness the effects of Covid on the sellers and their customers (many seem to have little to no regard for hygiene, let alone pandemic regulations). And we revel in the ways people can be bound together by cheese.

Each chapter is rounded off with the profile of a popular cheese, complete with a genuinely fun 'fun fact'. Did you know that in the 16th century, Margaret of Valois kept her husband, 'Good King Henry' of France, out of the clutches of his mistress by offering him brie on toast?

This surprisingly moving book will leave you fighting back a constant smile. It seems that cheese, and reading about it, really is good for you. If you don't believe me, just try some gruyere; not only is it deliciously creamy, it also contains a non-essential amino acid, tyrosine, which triggers a dopamine release.

So, next time you're feeling a bit down, have a slice of cheese and it'll turn your day around.