Traditional British Cheesemaking

Britain’s artisan cheese culture is thriving. There are now more than 700 recorded varieties of British cheese, produced by traditional cheesemakers who are regularly scooping up international food awards.

This five-day, hands-on specialist course explores the methodology and science behind traditional British cheesemaking, delving into the techniques and processes used to produce classic blue, soft and hard cheeses. It has been designed for existing artisan cheesemakers or those wishing to start making cheese commercially.

During this professional level masterclass, led by dairy industry expert and cheesemaking instructor Paul Thomas, you will cover a range of topics including:

• Sourcing milk
• Choosing equipment
• Monitoring acidity
• Adapting recipes to account for variation in the milk supply
• Reducing batch variability
• Ripening conditions
• The causes of common flavour and textural defects.

Over the five days you will create a selection of delicious artisan cheeses, such as:

• Lancashire-style cheese made with mixed curds
• Blue cheese, in the style of Shropshire Blue or similar
• Soft Cambridge or York-style cheese
• Crumbly Dales-style cheese
• Unripened hard cheese in the Caerphilly-style
• Hard cheese, in the style of Leicester or Gloucester.

Please note, these cheeses will be made with raw milk, though vegetable-based rennet can be used if required.

Refreshments will be available throughout the five days, as well as buffet style lunches prepared by our team of chefs. All ingredients, equipment and recipes will be provided.

"I have done a lot of studies and courses in the past, but this has been by far the most positive learning experience I have ever had. The knowledge I gained was very comprehensive and practical and it came at a critical time for me."
John Rowe, Villers-La-Ville, Belgium