The Cheese Blog
Mary Quicke ❤s the Cheesemonger Invitational + CCP, English-Style
Mary of Quicke’s Cheese posing with her wheels
Cheesemaker and owner of Quicke's Cheese, Mary Quicke, would like to see an MC in a cow suit dancing around cheesemongers on a stage in England.
"The first time I was at the Cheesemonger Invitational I thought, this is amazing and should be everywhere and how can we clone Adam Moskowitz [the cow]? Cheese in the U.S. is young and cool and happening, and people are rolling around and having fun with it. It's exciting!"
Though the CMI may not be traveling to London any time soon, Mary Quicke's enthusiasm for cheese can be felt across the world. If an international Cheese Enthusiasm Ambassadorship position opened up, Quicke would be one of the top three candidates. She can be found anywhere, any time, spreading her love for the community and the fruits of its labor.
Flipping cheddar curds at Quickes, Devon, England
Fitting then that Mary is heading the new British Academy of Cheese exams. Starting in the spring of 2017, the United Kingdom will join the U.S. in certifying cheese professionals who have thorough knowledge of cheese history, care, sales and science. This is a pretty big deal because a) it encourages education in the field, making cheese more well-cared for and customers better served, and b) it serves up a sense of pride.
"Now when your mom asks you to get a proper job, you can say, excuse me, look at this," says Quicke.
Whew... feeling lucky at the moment that my parents took me on trips to creameries all during childhood so they consider my career not only valid but an opportunity for their gastronomical enrichment. Win-win.
In short, Quicke hopes that becoming certified will make you "unmessable in your knowledge." Its been a while since Quicke returned to the family business in 1984, when people kept asking her "why aren't you making block cheese?" Now people want to hear about terroir, specific cheesemakers, to feel that they're supporting a movement or small farms.
"We want to make sure that the cheese professional has everything they need to give a proper answer and serve a cheese at its peak of perfection."
The tests will differ from the American test because they'll start with Level 1- basic training, to 2- professionally able to educate others, to 3- an expert, to 4- a Master. As in a Master of Cheese like a Master Sommelier (they don't have this exam ready yet but I'm hoping it'll require experts to cut cheese with lightsabers instead of cheese wire) where one would know everything from cheesemaking to distribution, education and importing.
Someday she hopes for residency, a sort of international cheese professional exchange. Quicke thinks there would be a lot to learn on both ends, "I've gone from being a judge at ACS many years ago, thinking "oh, the Americans are kind of doing well," to tasting and thinking, "these ones are world-class- there are now so many beautiful, balanced, complex cheeses here. I had many oh-my-goodness moments during judging."
Some of her favorites are the Jasper Hill Cellars collections, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, anything by Andante's Soyoung Scanlan, and Spring Brook Farm Tarentaise Reserve. To start.
And if Mary really loves the CMI, she has to also love pairings or The Perfect Bite part of the competition, right? She does. And she has her own favorite Quicke pairings too- her mature cheddar with single estate Darjeeling tea, or, unblended rye whisky. Cheers.
Photos are from my visit to Quicke's during my Isles cheesemaking tour two years ago.
Quicke’s hand rolled butter. Not cheese. But,,… butter. Because, butter.
The "It's Not You, It's Brie" British-Irish Invasion
As I type this, I'm flying over the Nevada desert towards Heathrow, London. Starting today, all newsletter updates and blog posts for the next two months are going to be sent from the British and Emerald Isles! If you're asking yourself, is this months-long British and Irish exploration cheese-based, your answer is yes. I'm going to eat more Cheddar, Wensleydale, and thistle-rennet goat cheeses than I've ever eaten in my life. And you can bet your bottom pounds and euros I will tell share the dairy glory.
I'm more than a little excited. First a month in England, off-and-on, then some time in Ireland. I'm also a little nervous. I'm hoping that at some point during my trip I master using phone country codes and that the British and Irish friends I'm visiting honor the beauty that coffee brings to a morning while I'm crashing on their couches (they already have). But more than anything, I'm excited. And hoping that the whole driving-on-the-left-side-of-the-road thing isn't as difficult as Irish car hire insurance policies suggest.
The purpose of my trip is, you guessed it, cheese inspired and general tourism! I'm visiting producers who I've been enamored with from afar for years and just hanging out in general. Just a few cheese folks I'll be visiting: Hafod, Quickes, Hawe's Wenslydale, Gubbeen. Seeing the rolling hills of Somerset, and being stopped in the middle of the road by sheep when I'm late to catch a train or do something important pretty much seems like the best thing ever right now.
I'll keep you all posted with blog updates (as jaunting across the pond and a little behind on blog updates, you may see a rendition of this newsletter here, but remember, you read it first!) and then, later after I return to the U.S., there will much more writing. And there will be articles and classes.
Keep posted on my whereabouts via my blog, and feel free to drop me a line in the comments section, or at kirstin@itsnotyouitsbrie. I've love to hear your local recs while I'm exploring the culture, history, and deliciousness of the cheese from these two beautiful countries. I'm honored to have this chance to roam and can't wait to share my adventures with you!
Winter Cheese & Wine, Tuesday, Nov 25th, Cheese School of San Francisco
What begins as fresh milk in the spring, results in a well-aged cheese to keep us nourished and satiated through the winter. These cheeses are meaty and rich and make the perfect foil for wine both red and white. Wine maven Kirstin Jackson will introduce you to eight beautiful examples of the fruits of spring and some wines that are also worth the wait.
Winter Sparklers: Wednesday, Dec 10th, Cheese School of San Francisco
Prosecco, cava, California sparkling wine, champagne. If you ask us, everything tastes better with bubbles. But some cheeses really do sing to the tune of fruity, floral effervescence. Join author and wine and cheese pairing savant Kirstin Jackson for a festive evening exploring the best cheeses to pair with sparkling wine. After this class you can consider yourself holiday-party ready.