Academy of Cheese Level 1

Want to know your Le Gruyère from your Gorgonzola? Then Academy of Cheese Level One is for you! Becoming an Associate of the Academy of Cheese is the first step to developing a greater understanding and appreciation of cheese.

During this fun and engaging tutoring, you’ll discover a structured approach to tasting and be introduced to a range of tools to help you communicate more effectively about cheese. You’ll learn how cheese is made, how to assess quality, develop an understanding of the provenance and range of cheese available. This will be backed up with home study (and even more cheese tasting!).

At Quicke’s, we understand that great cheesemaking is an art. We’ve have been nurturing the Quicke family farm for nearly 500 years, crafting the very finest flavours from this idyllic corner of Devon. We use our years of experience and skills to capture the best expression of the grass, soil and seasons, and we’re very proud to be able to share some of that experience by running Academy of Cheese training, alongside Sam Wilkin.

Sam is an experienced cheesemonger supplying the high-end restaurant and hotel market.  Alongside his work in the trade, Sam produces his own Cellarman Podcast and The Fine Food Podcast for The Guild of Fine Food.  Sam is also a Judge at The World Cheese Awards, most recently in Bergen Norway.

The Level One: Associate course is a beginner level introduction to cheese, suitable for those starting a career in cheese, or people who love cheese and are interested in expanding their passion. This is the first step to becoming a master of cheese!

Find out more about the Academy of Cheese: https://academyofcheese.org/vision/

What will you learn?

• Tutored tasting of a selection of delicious cheeses
• Gain confidence and explore cheese more widely
• Fun experience for any food lover
• Accreditation has worthwhile outcomes for cheese professionals looking to enhance their career
• Knowledge will be backed up by supported home study (and even more cheese tasting!)

What’s included?

• A full day learning about cheese, including lunch at Hanlons Brewery and refreshments
• A tour of the Quicke’s cheese dairy – see cheddar cheesemaking in action
• The Academy of Cheese delegates pack, including the 25 Level 1 Cheeses Book, the Make Post-Make model and the Standard Approach to Tasting Cheese.
• 12 month’s subscription to the Academy of Cheese to complete your training
• Access to the Academy of Cheese Level 1 online knowledge base, study materials and Cheese Library
• The Level 1 exam

Important information to read before booking:

Home Farm is a working farm so there are a few things we’d like to remind you of before you book.

• You’ll be walking around a working farm which is likely to be muddy and uneven, so please bring appropriate footwear such as wellies or walking boots.
• With our changeable British weather, it’s also sensible to bring waterproofs and extra layers.
• Please note that the cheese stores stay cool (even in the summer!) so you might want an extra layer in there too.
• Attendees must be over the age of 18.
• The route is not suitable for wheelchairs.
• When entering the dairy you’ll be asked to remove all jewellery (plain wedding bands are permitted), so it’s a good idea to do this beforehand for safekeeping.

Cancellations/Refunds 

1. We do not provide refunds once you have completed a booking. All bookings are final. However if you are unable to attend you can reassign your booking to another person – please let us know.

2. Transferring to a different AOC Level 1 date can only be made up to 21 days before your original AOC Level 1 date booked takes place and can only be done once. Transferring to a new AOC Level 1 date can only done provided there is space on the new date you wish to attend.

3. We reserve the right to cancel the event at any point, in which case refunds will be given.

4. We reserve the right to alter prices at any time.