Offering a unique insight into the art of cheesemaking, Devon-based Clothbound Cheddar producer, Quicke’s is set to hold a series of Academy of Cheese courses at Home Farm during 2020, with dates for its popular Cheese Tours also announced.
The first and only cheesemaker to host the Academy of Cheese training programme on a working farm, Quicke’s will run the Level 1: Associate one-day course throughout 2020, offering curd nerds the opportunity to improve their knowledge, witness cheese being made from the ground up and gain a recognised certification. Covering both cheese theory and the practical cheesemaking process, this course can be the first step to becoming a fully-certified Master of Cheese.
Open to everyone, with no previous experience required, the Level 1 course will begin with a guided tour, visiting the dairy, the cheese stores and ancient rural landscape that makes up Home Farm. The notebooks will then come out for a lesson in everything from provenance and production to maturing, affinage and grading, introducing a structured approach to tasting as the group makes its way through 13 classic cheeses. Supported by home study and further tasting, delegates will work towards a multiple choice exam paper.
For those wishing to take a peek behind the rind of traditional Clothbound Cheddar, Quicke’s Cheese Tours will showcase just what goes into an award-winning wedge. Guests will watch on as each truckle is crafted by hand, before exploring the ‘cathedral of cheese’ and tucking into a tutored tasting. Quicke’s world-famous cows will then be the stars of a guided tour around the farm, ending with lunch at Devon’s oldest working brew pub, The Beer Engine in Newton St Cyres.
The Academy of Cheese Level 1: Associate training courses will take place at Quicke’s on the following dates, running from 9:30am to 4:30pm:
Tuesday 25 February
Tuesday 28 April
Tuesday 23 June
Tuesday 29 September
Tickets can be purchased from Eventbrite and cost £195 per person, which includes access to the Academy of Cheese Level 1 online knowledge base, study materials and Cheese Library.
Quicke’s Cheese Tours will take place on the following dates, running from 10am to 2pm:
Friday 24 April
Friday 29 May
Friday 19 June
Friday 26 June
Friday 17 July
Friday 24 July
Friday 21 August
Friday 28 August
Friday 18 September
Friday 25 September
Tickets can be purchased from Eventbrite and cost £35 per person.