Academy of Cheese partners with Fine Vintage to launch first US training courses

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UK-based not-for-profit organisation, the Academy of Cheese, has announced dates for its first ever courses in the United States, with Fine Vintage revealed as the educational body’s inaugural training partner for North America.

Widely regarded as the Harvard of wine schools, with 20 locations across the USA and Canada, Fine Vintage will host America’s very first Academy of Cheese training session in New York City on Sunday 19 April. The course will take place at the Hilton New York Fashion District and will be taught by British cheese writer, educator and presenter Patrick McGuigan.

The Level One course is a beginner-friendly professional certification, open to both cheese lovers and industry newcomers. It also provides the first step on the pathway towards becoming a Master of Cheese.

During a full-day guided tasting, students will explore 12 benchmark cheeses and six classic wine pairings in a relaxed classroom setting. Alongside the in-person training, delegates will receive a digital Academy of Cheese Delegate Pack and 12 months of access to the Academy of Cheese Level One Learning Road and Cheese Library for continued study and reference.

Students are then invited to sit an online exam at a time that suits them. The assessment takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and provides instant results.

Alongside this landmark launch in the United States, Fine Vintage will also roll out the Level One course to four of its Canada-based schools. Sessions are scheduled to take place in Toronto, Kelowna, Calgary and Vancouver between April and June. These will be delivered by Patrick McGuigan alongside Certified Cheesemaker Tracey Johnson ACS CCP.

Through its partnership with Fine Vintage, the Academy of Cheese continues to expand its international reach. The organisation currently supports programmes in 18 countries and has welcomed students from 96 different nations.

Tracey Colley, founding director of the Academy of Cheese, commented: “This is a huge moment for the Academy of Cheese, as we continue our work to promote cheese education and careers in cheese across the world. Now in our 10th year, we have found the perfect training partner for North America in Fine Vintage. This is the first time that food lovers in America can sign up to a certified training programme in cheese, ushering in a new wave of cheese knowledge set to sweep across the States.”

James Cluer, Master of Wine and owner of Fine Vintage, added: “Cheese and wine is the ultimate pairing. Learning about them is a life-long passion. I’m so thrilled that Fine Vintage can bring the courses from the Academy of Cheese, the gold standard in cheese education, to the foodies and wine lovers of New York City and beyond.”

This announcement of the Academy of Cheese’s first US-based training partner comes just months after Hanna Lee became the first American to win the Academy’s Young Cheesemonger of the Year competition. Based at Uplands Cheese Company in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, Hanna was nominated by Cheese State University and secured the title following a hotly contested three-hour final held on Thursday 13 November at Festhalle Bern in Switzerland during the World Cheese Awards.

Places on the Academy of Cheese Associate Level One Certification courses with Fine Vintage are available for $599 per person. Full details, including booking information, can be found on the Academy of Cheese website.

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Notes to Editors

About the Academy of Cheese

The Academy of Cheese is an impartial, not-for-profit organisation created in 2016 to establish an industry-supported, recognised and certified development programme promoting cheese knowledge, cheese education and careers in cheese. Academy courses educate both consumers and professionals through four levels of certification, culminating in the prestigious Master of Cheese qualification.

Web: www.academyofcheese.org
Instagram: cheese_academy
Facebook: academyofcheese
LinkedIn: the-academy-of-cheese

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