Level Two Member Certification with hands-on Cheesemaking: January 2024

10th - 11th January 2024

We are pleased to be offering this Level Two course with a strong emphasis on cheesemaking. It has been designed for cheese industry professionals and passionate consumers alike that have completed Academy of Cheese Level One certification. If you are looking to deepen your understanding of cheese and cheesemaking, this hands-on Level Two course is for you.

£595.00

Only 6 left in stock

Level Two

Additional information

Certification	Member
Study Type	Classroom
Location	Loughry College, Cookstown, Northern Ireland
Session Dates	10th – 11th January 2024

Becoming a Level Two Member, through attending the course and subsequent successful completion of the study modules and coursework, will be of significant benefit to anyone wanting to become a cheesemaker or anyone working in the industry wanting to continue their professional development.

Taking place at the renowned Loughry College situated in the heart of Northern Ireland, day one will concentrate on making two styles of cheese; soft and hard covering practical and theory modules.

This first day will give you the chance to get ‘hands-on’ with the cheesemaking modules at Level Two, as well as seeing how regulation and good practice is applied in a working dairy. The cheese styles we will make are chosen to demonstrate how the different make profiles ultimately impact the finished cheese, expanding your understanding of the Make Post-Make categories.

The cheesemaking continues in the morning of day two as we prepare the cheeses for maturing. The rest of the day is classroom and kitchen based, focussing in depth on the application of the Academy’s Make and Post Make Model, Structured Approach to Tasting and Presenting & Serving. This will involve plenty of tasting, cutting and wrapping and you will also have the opportunity to ask any questions about Level Two.

There are 75 cheeses to be studied at Level Two, we will tasting and discussing 20 of these cheeses during the two days.

Who will be Teaching the Course?

Led by Katy Fenwick and Lee-Anna Rennie-Johnson, this Level Two certification will bring to life some of the Level Two modules, making the connection between the theory and the practical skills. This course will give you the foundations on which to take your Level Two exam and to continue to develop your cheese knowledge.

KATY FENWICK: ACADEMY OF CHEESE EDUCATION PROJECT MANAGER

Katy is a freelance cheese making consultant and educator, with external qualifications in HACCP, Food Safety Management and Internal Auditing as well as specialist training in Dairy Hygiene. With over fifteen years experience in the specialist cheese industry, including the role of retail manager for Neal’s Yard Dairy, she has spent time with cheese makers and retailers both in the UK and overseas. Driven to share her knowledge and love of teaching, she went on to teach at the School of Artisan Food. Most recently, she spent 18 months at Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont, working in their creameries, affinage facilities and new product development.

LEE-ANNA RENNIE JOHNSON: INDEPENDENT DAIRY CONSULTANT & ACADEMY TRAINING PARTNER

Lee-Anna is an international consultant, writer and tutor on all matters dairy. She has worked in the dairy industry for over 15 years and is the founder of The Dairy Made, a UK based, global dairy consultancy. Lee-Anna has worked for all sizes and types of cheesemaker, from traditional farmhouse producers to large scale manufacturers. As well as making cheese and teaching how to make cheese, Lee-Anna likes to talk about cheese and judges at National and International cheese awards.

Additional to attending the two-day course you’ll receive 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 handed out at the course)
Downloadable Tasting sheets
Level Two Exam
Cheese Library containing over 450 cheeses

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.

Essential Details

Date:

Time:

Location:

10th & 11th January 2024

Day 1: 9am – 5pm | Day 2: 9am – 4.30pm

Loughry College (CAFRE)

76 Dungannon Road, COOKSTOWN, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, BT80 9AA

Price:

£595 Includes all refreshments, cheese to taste and lunch on both days.

Accommodation Options

If you’re travelling from further afield there are various accomodations in the local area, Cookstown is the nearest. Delegates are responsible for booking their own accomodation.

Places are limited to 12 delegates.

Cancellations

Please note, once the course is booked it is non-refundable. All bookings are final, however, if you are unable to attend you can reassign your booking to a new available date or to another person. We require 14 days’ notice prior to original booking date.

We reserve the right to cancel a course at short notice should events beyond our control make this unavoidable. Should this occur, delegates will be offered a place on our next available scheduled course or a full refund.

Tracey

Includes instant access to the Member learning road and certification

1: Milk Production and Cheesemaking

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

2: Maturing, Affinage and Grading

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

3: Buying and Distribution

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)

4: Presentation

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

5: Communicating

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

6: Cheese Industry Knowledge

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

7: Regulation and Good Practice

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

8: Tasting

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

9: Level Two Member – 100 Cheeses

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

Level Two Exam

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!