‘A surfyte of cheese doth bringe payne’: Leeds university transcribes early book on cheese

First known such ‘pamflyt’ in English has contemporary resonance, with advice on food intolerances and eating cheese after a meal

They are 450-year-old words of wisdom but they will ring true with anyone rooting around the fridge for late night comfort: “A surfyte of cheese doth bringe payne.”

The warning for people to curb their enthusiasm is contained in the earliest-known book on cheese in English, a publication that academics say is both fascinating and nauseating.