If urban gentrification has a signature smell then it must surely be the sweaty aroma of blue Roquefort.
“What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?” (Bertolt Brecht)
In his book, "Medium Raw", the New York chef, Anthony Bourdain notes that: "You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese." By this measure, it has to be acknowledged that London is a good deal less romantic than Paris. And yet, there are several pockets of London in which independent cheesemongers ​have begun to flourish and their distribution tells a very ripe tale of gentrification and social aspiration.
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You can use the map above to examine the geographical distribution of London's cheesemongers. Use the filter to choose a borough and the map will automatically zoom into that part of town. Then, hover your cursor over any of the dots and a lightbox will appear, displaying the name of the cheesemonger, its street location and its postcode.
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