Member certification Self Study

Take your cheese education to the next level and study for the Member certification with the eLearning platform, accessible online wherever you are in the world, 24/7.

£399.00

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(6 customer reviews)

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Self Study Member Course

Studying for your certification via the self study eLearning platform allows you to study at your own pace, at a time that suits you. You can study with us from wherever you are in the world before taking the online exam and becoming a certified Academy of Cheese Member.

When you enrol you’ll receive instant access to:

  • Level Two online Learning Road, consider this your digital course book
  • Knowledge check questions to test your progress as you study
  • Digital downloadable delegate pack (printed version available to purchase)
  • Downloadable Tasting sheets
  • Level Two Exam
  • Cheese Library containing over 150 cheeses

The Self Study course does not include cheese but we encourage delegates to taste as many of the  75 cheeses as possible whilst studying the course.

You have 12 months access to the Learning Road and to take the exam. Upon passing the exam you will receive a pin badge and certificate suitable for framing.

 

Tracey

Tracey

Includes instant access to the Member learning road and certification

  • L2 S01 Understands the role of the ingredients used in cheesemaking and the impact they can have on the finished cheese.
  • L2 S02 Understands the impact of milk composition and quality on the finished cheese (e.g. species, morning/evening milk, season, lactation stage)

  • L2 S03 Has knowledge of the key milking breeds – Cows (Bos taurus)

  • L2 S04 Has knowledge of the key milking breeds – Goats (Capra aegarus hircus) and Sheep (Ovis aries)

  • L2 S05 Has knowledge of the key milking breeds – Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

  • L2 S06 Understands how cheese style, flavour, texture and safety are influenced by cheesemaking techniques and acidity development

  • L2 S07 Understands how rind washing is carried out and how it affects the flavour profile of cheese.
  • L2 S08 Understands how flavour-added cheeses can be made (e.g. smoked, re-milled & flavoured, herbs and spices added to curd
  • L2 S09 Understands the role of the ripening microflora and the effect of salt on the flavour and texture of cheese
  • L2 S10 Understands the typical temperatures and maturation times for Hard and Soft cheeses for further ripening
  • L2 S11 Understands how cheese safety is affected in Hard Make and Soft Make cheeses at different stages of their maturation and storage
  • L2 S12 Understands the importance of brushing and turning cheeses, where appropriate, to ensure that they remain in optimum condition
  • L2 S13 Is able to recognise the condition of a hard and blue cheese in terms of maturity
  • L2 S14 Is able to recognise some common defects of cheese arising from the milk and cheese-making processes (e.g. blowing/gas defects, mechanical openness, cracking, excessive moisture, mite damage)
  • L2 S15 Is able to use a cheese iron
  • L2 S16 Understands how to calculate cost of goods sold, gross profit, profit margin. Understands the difference between margin and mark up.
  • L2 S17 Understands the various ways that products are distributed (e.g. direct from producer, via wholesaler, via a consolidator)
  • L2 S18 Understands the cost structure of the supply chain and the impact of wastage on profitability
  • L2 S19 Understands the importance of offering an appropriate range of cheeses and can recommend appropriate ranges in specific circumstances (e.g. dinner party, restaurant service or a cheese counter)
  • L2 S20 Is able to select an appropriate range of accompaniments to match a cheese selection (e.g. dinner party, restaurant service or a cheese counter)
  • L2 S21 Understands how cheese may be safely stored and presented in different environments (e.g. thehome, retail and foodservice)
  • L2 S22 Is able to recognise common cheese quality defects arising when presenting and serving cheese in a retail and foodservice environment (e.g. drying of the cut face, mould growth, discolouring/light damage, sweating) and know how to manage them.
  • L2 S23 Understands the role of temperature and importance of effective pre-requisite controls on quality and safety when maturing cheese in the retail environment
  • L2 S24 Is able to cut, re-pack and present cheese to achieve best quality in a retail or food service environment
  • L2 S25 Understands the importance of implementing effective stock management systems for cheeses on display with regard to batch identification and expiry date Read this
  • L2 S26 Understands the use of different types of cheese in cooking variety
  • L2 S27 Understands how key descriptors can be communicated verbally or non-verbally to the customer in retail or food service environments
  • L2 S28 Understands that different customers may rank the importance of key descriptors differently
  • L2 S29 Understands the health benefits of cheese
  • L2 S30 Is able to advise people on the safe consumption of cheese to high risk groups (i.e. very old, very young, pregnant women, immunocompromised), individuals with allergies or coeliacs
  • L2 S31 Can suggest appropriate cheese pairings with food and drink
  • L2 S32 Has a detailed understanding of the history of cheese in the UK
  • L2 S33 Has an understanding of current market trends in UK and world cheese consumption – Key Events
  • L2 S33 Has an understanding of current market trends in UK and world cheese consumption – Top Cheese Consuming Countries in the World
  • L2 S34 Has an understanding of current market trends in UK and world cheese consumption – Trends
  • L2 S35 Understands the requirements relating to the approval of food businesses
  • L2 S36 Understands the seven principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points difference between “use by” and “best before”
  • L2 S36 Knows the main pathogens relevant to cheesemaking, maturation and storage and their most likely source
  • L2 S37 Understands the role of the food enforcement officer (e.g. Environmental Health Officer)
  • L2 S38 Understands the legal requirements relating to labelling and trading standards
  • L2 S39 Understands the terms withdrawal and recall and the circumstances in which these would be carried out
  • L2 S40 Understands how to use the Academy of Cheese Level 2 Tasting Model and can assess cheese using the Model – Tasting Cheese
  • L2 S40 Understands how to use the Academy of Cheese Level 2 Tasting Model and can assess cheese using the Model – How SATC Level 2 differs to Level 1
  • L2 S40 Understands how to use the Academy of Cheese Level 2 Tasting Model and can assess cheese using the Model – Pre-Taste Assessment
  • L2 S40 Understands how to use the Academy of Cheese Level 2 Tasting Model and can assess cheese using the Model – Mouthfeel
  • L2 S40 Understands how to use the Academy of Cheese Level 2 Tasting Model and can assess cheese using the Model – Taste Assessment
  • L2 S40 Understands how to use the Academy of Cheese Level 2 Tasting Model and can assess cheese using the Model – Assessment Conclusion
  • L2 S41 Recognises the specified 100 cheeses by name, MPM class, species of milking animal, protected status, heat treatment, rennet type and country/region of origin
  • L2 S42 Knows the background information, cheese make, maturation process and key characteristics for the cheeses specified on the Level 2 list

Whichever way you chose to study, you’ll need to take the online exam to become a certified Academy of Cheese Member. It’s 40 questions in 40 minutes, you’ve got this!  

6 reviews for Member certification Self Study

  1. Lindsay Schwarz

    I thoroughly enjoyed my Level 2 self study course. After being successful in Level 1, I wanted to learn even more and was aware of the great materials the Academy presented to self study learners. The quality, once again, was unparalleled.
    I would recommend this course to anyone that was successful in their Level 1 course and is hungry for more. That being said, students need to understand that this course is much more time consuming than Level 1. That was something I was unprepared for, but in the end it was all worth it!
    I learned a lot, ate some great cheese, and felt confident going into the exam.

  2. Geoff Quantock

    Really useful to do a classroom course at No2 Pound Street. The cheese tasting and making worked very well in a group and to get the input from James Grant added a depth to the information that you may not get if doing a self study course. There was a lot to take in, and i felt at the time it was a bit rushed, however the online material provided an excellent reference for the items covered live, which could then be revisited at your own pace

  3. Jacquie Radford

    As a cheese enthusiast, I highly recommend this course to deepen understanding of cheese and the some of the science behind it. I thoroughly enjoyed the exploring (and tasting) more of the universe of cheeses – and gained some more favourites along the way. The cheese library and learning road are well put together and immensely helpful in developing a base of knowledge.

    So if you enjoy cheese and learning, and would like to know more, I would recommend the course. It is a significant commitment, but self study (and a year to complete the course) means you have the flexibly to fit it in with other commitments and a busy life.

  4. Emanuele Armaforte

    This was a fantastic course, which described comprehensively all the important topics related to cheese making while also providing good focus on the tasting of different cheese and explaining professional ways to assess cheese from an organoleptic point of view and record scores. The level 2 course provides a really good balance between online resources and face to face training sessions. The training was delivered by Patrick and Tracey and their knowledge, skills and expertise played a crucial part in making this a very informative and enjoyable course. Highly recommended!

  5. Claire Lewis

    As someone who is not in the Cheese Industry, I was a little concerned before I started the course whether it would be a course for me. I need not have worried! I would wholeheartedly recommend Level Two to someone who is simply a cheese enthusiast like myself. The course is totally fascinating with a well-balanced in-depth look at cheese from various angles such as the history, science and the Makes plus expanding your own appreciation of the complex flavours of a wide range of cheeses. The facility to learn online from a Tutor such as Charlie with his vast experience and excellent and thoroughly enjoyable presentation style plus the Online Modules is very good indeed.

    So, if you are just into cheese and want to learn more for your own pleasure and interest then do go for Level Two!!

  6. Alicia Wright

    I studied Level 2 during lockdown, this course is fully in depth and there is so much detail within the course it really helped me grow within my job but also my knowledge of cheese as-well as the more scientific aspects of the whole cheese making process. I really enjoyed going in to the detail with the tasting module its really helped elevate my experiences when tasting cheeses. I fully recommend this course even with level 2 self study is possible and it was helpful for me to keep taking time to focus on certain modules and keep going back to certain modules and studying the cheese library which i have used since to design cheese boards. Its basically a great course with lots of help and support along the way.

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