The River Cottage ethos is all about knowing the whole story behind what you put on the table; and as Steven Lamb explains in this thorough, accessible guide, the key ingredient is milk.

This collection of essays is the second in a series of books curated by the Monument Fellowship: eight organisations which have been funded by The Monument Trust to work together to make a sustained, cumulative and transformative change to the journey of individuals through our justice system.These include chorizo Scotch eggs, salt beef, hot smoked mackerel, home-made gravadlax and your own dry-cured streaky bacon sizzling in the breakfast frying-pan.

The second part of the book is organised by preservation method, with an introduction to each one, and comprehensive guidance on how to do it.These ‘go-to books‘ are very useful for someone trying to learn dry curing and smoking; they’re all pitched slightly differently, but they have the same info.