Who are we?

Founded in 2005 by the Mons brothers, Mons Formation is a premier training centre dedicated to the art and science of cheese refining and dairy product marketing. Designed with a strong focus on professional development, our programmes cover essential industry skills—from product knowledge and cutting techniques to sales strategies, product presentation, and shelf management.

As industry demand expanded, so too did our offerings—introducing specialised training in cheese manufacturing and maturation, allowing our participants to train in a real-world environment that reflects every operational detail of the craft.

Since its inception, Mons Formation has grown well beyond its roots in France, building strong partnerships with commercial trainers and educational institutions around the world.

Today, our dedicated team continues to push the boundaries of training excellence, delivering rich, hands-on, and unforgettable learning experiences for professionals passionate about cheese and dairy excellence.

Fully-funded scholarship for Five-Day Affinage Course in France

Mons Formation are kindly donating a fully-funded scholarship to attend “Affinage: The Art & Science of Maturing Cheese” to this year’s Affineur of the Year winner.

This wonderful prize offers an exceptional opportunity for the winner to deepen their craft and knowledge on an intensive one-week training residency (40 hours) held at the Mons Fromager-Affineur’s headquarters, in Saint-Haon-le-Châtel, France.

Key details include:

  • Course format: 5 days of training (50% theory, 50% hands-on)
  • Class size: Maximum 6 students
  • Value: €2800, including lodging, breakfast & lunch, and local transport

Course topics cover:

  • Cheese-making processes and their impact on aging
  • Biochemical changes in cheese: glycolysis, proteolysis, lipolysis
  • Microbial flora and rind development
  • Affinage techniques, tools, and environments
  • Practical training and daily tastings
  • One-on-one learning with professional affineurs

Why are you supporting Affineur of the Year 2025?

For several years, our training centre at Mons Formation has had the pleasure of welcoming professionals from the British dairy industry to our cheese aging courses. This growing interest offers us a fresh perspective on practices that, for us, are often cultural and deeply rooted in tradition. Today, affinage methods must be pragmatic, clearly explained, well understood, and aligned with the expectations of our customers. In this context, “Affineur of the Year” competition truly makes sense.
This special award, presented during this unique event, feels both legitimate and symbolic. Sharing knowledge and exchanging experiences can only enrich us all.

Laurent Mons

Further Information

www.mons-formation.com