Cheese off: SJ Berwin Associate quits law for cheese
07 December 2012
A two year qualified SJ Berwin tax lawyer has left her legal career to pursue a passion for artisan cheese.

It's hardly a new phenomenon for City lawyers to look for a new challenge. Some write novels, some establish start ups and at least one lawyer went on to invent an ergonomic potty. However Lucy Gregory has quit her job as a tax associate to become a cheesemonger, cheese writer and, err, cheese consultant (yes, they do exist).

Gregory took the plunge in May after her passion for cheese was ignited by living near Borough Market. She started by hosting cheese nights and then, after thinking Caerphilly (you're fired, Ed.) about her next move, she approached the publishers Allegra, which signed her up to write the London Cheese and Wine Guide.

Leaving law was a grate decision for Lucy

At the same time, she offered to help out at Greenwich cheese company The Cheeseboard at weekends. They offered her a paid position, and so she left SJB. Gregory claims she maintains a "geeky interest in tax", but it never made her "bounce out of bed in the morning".

Seven months on she has no regrets and clearly prefers judging Cheesemonger of the Year at the recent World Cheese Awards to poring over Tolley's Yellow Book at 3am.