Farmhouse Cheese Production

The fee for this event is €960 per participant (€625 for those eligible for funding by The Rural Food Skillnet).

For enquiries, contact Dr Deirdre Kennedy, deirdre.kennedy@teagasc.ie.

Course Overview

This course aims to provide the farmhouse cheese industry with a better knowledge of the principles and practices involved in making farmhouse cheeses, as well as food safety, EU regulations and equipment and premises requirements.

Who is this training course designed for?

The programme is aimed at persons interested in setting up a Farmhouse Cheese Making enterprise or working already in the small scale cheese-making industry.

What will I learn if I attend?

• Main components of cow's milk and their properties and importance for cheese making.
• Milk hygiene and storage.
• Basic principles of cheese making including starter preparation and addition, renneting and coagulation, curd cutting and handling.
• Small and large scale cheesemaking.
• Principles of HACCP.
• Technologies and procedures for manufacture and ripening of different cheese varieties.

Course Location

The course will be delivered in Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy.

Course Format and Tutors

This interactive training course will be delivered using a mix of lecture style presentations, small scale kitchen and pilot plant practical sessions, objective cheese viewing and tasting and round table discussions. Participants will receive a hard copy of all information to take home. The training course will be primarily delivered by researchers from the Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark. All tutors have relevant qualifications and extensive experience. External experts and guest speakers from external agencies such as DAFM and FSAI will also provide valuable insight into areas such as regulatory practices and legislative requirements.

An exam will be held on day 3. The course is certified through QQI.

Fee

The fee for this event is €960 per participant (€625 for those eligible for funding by The Rural Food Skillnet).

Skillnet Ireland Eligibility Criteria

Participating businesses must be from private enterprise based in the Republic of Ireland. Sole traders are eligible as Member Companies. Skillnet Ireland funding is NOT available to public sector bodies or organisations that are publicly funded such as community-based not-for-profit companies or charities.