School of Fine Food Member Level 2 Certification – 2 Day Course: September 2022

27th & 28th September 2022

Level Two has been designed for cheese industry professionals throughout the supply chain who wish to advance their learning and expertise. It will also appeal to consumers with a profound interest in expanding their understanding of cheese production and varieties.

£595.00

Level Two

Additional information

Certification	Member
Language	English
Location	London, UK
Study Type	Classroom
Session Dates:	27th & 28th September 2022

This is an interactive course, which includes activities such as tasting around 25 different cheeses, cheese making, cheese and drinks matching, cow top trumps and assessing different ages of the same cheese. Students will be encouraged to stay in touch and support each other via a private Facebook group, and will be given clear guidance on how to approach home study and how to best approach the exam.

Academy of Cheese Level Two is a two day course covering nine distinct areas:

The cheesemaking process
An in-depth look at ingredients and production techniques
Maturing, Affinage and Grading
Evaluate the ripeness and maturity of a range of cheeses and different effects and methods employed
Buying and Distribution
Recognise an appropriate range of cheeses for particular situations, review the types of supply chain and demonstrate and understanding profit and costs
Presentation
Select the correct cheese tools to maintain appearance and recognise stock management systems
Communicating
Understand why certain pairings work and classic cheese recipes, consumption guidelines and learn appropriate descriptors
Cheese industry knowledge
Develop an understanding of cheese’s evolution and emerging trends
Regulation and good practice
A close look at HACCP, the role of food enforcement officers, the role of food labelling and the main pathogens
Tasting
You will use the Make Post Make Model to identify 100 cheeses
Assessment criteria
Undertaking Level Two requires 16-24 hours of classroom study and 54-72 hours of additional home study and there will be a short exam at the end of the course.

The course will be delivered by Patrick McGuigan, one of Britain’s leading cheese writers and teachers. He has written about cheese for titles including The Telegraph, The Financial Times and Delicious, and has contributed to BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme. His first book, The Philosophy of Cheese, published by The British Library, was published in October 2020.

Dates: Tuesday 27 & Wednesday 28 September

Timings: 09:30 – 17:00

Venue: Guild of Fine Food, 42 Southwark Street, London SE1 1UN.

Archie

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!