Academy of Cheese dates announced at Quicke’s, as the farm becomes the classroom

Academy of Cheese

Devon-based Clothbound Cheddar producer, Quicke’s is set to become the first cheesemaker to hold Academy of Cheese training courses on a working farm, with a series of dates due to get underway later this year. The Academy’s latest training partner, Quicke’s will run the Level 1: Associate one-day course, offering cheese lovers and cheesemongers the chance to improve their knowledge, take a tour of Home Farm and gain a recognised certification.

Delivered by cheese-broadcaster, cheesemonger and Academy-certified trainer, Sam Wilkin, the Level 1 course will cover cheesemaking, provenance, terminology and more. The day will begin with a guided tour, witnessing cheesemaking in action, visiting the ‘cathedral of cheese’ and meeting the specially-bred Quicke’s cows, before the notebooks come out for a lesson in everything from ingredients and production to maturing, affinage and grading.

Open to everyone, with no previous experience required, the course will introduce a structured approach to tasting as the group makes its way through 25 classic cheeses. Learning Le Gruyère from Gorgonzola in the home of Clothbound Cheddar, the session will be supported by home study and further tasting, before delegates undertake a multiple choice exam paper.

Instrumental in the formation of the Academy of Cheese in 2017, which was established to promote cheese knowledge and support career development, Mary Quicke MBE will now bring the certification to Devon for the first time. Giving curd nerds an opportunity to immerse themselves in both cheese theory and the practical cheesemaking process, this course can be the first step on a journey to become a fully-certified Master of Cheese.

The first Academy of Cheese Level 1: Associate training courses to be hosted by Quicke’s will take place on 24 September 2019, 26 November 2019 and 25 February 2020, running from 9am to 4:30pm.

Tickets can be purchased from Eventbrite and cost £195 per person, which includes access to the Academy of Cheese Level 1 online knowledge base, study materials and Cheese Library.

For more information about Quicke's, visit www.quickes.co.uk.