Academy of Cheese Level One with Patrick McGuigan

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Join author and expert Patrick McGuigan for a day of cheese tasting and learning, plus a special section on the art of cheese and wine matching.

Event details

WSET School London students can get £10 off with the discount code £10OFF_PMSEP24

Patrick will be teaching the Academy of Cheese Level 1 qualification at WSET School London for the first time this September. This follows many years co-hosting cheese and wine evening tastings at our school.

The fun, interactive day course will be packed with information based on Patrick’s 15-year career in cheese, which has seen him visit and learn from the best cheesemakers, maturers and cheesemongers in the world.

Patrick also holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and French Wine Scholar qualifications, so is excited to bring his love of curd and grape together with a special section during the class looking at perfect pairings.

Please note: This event is being run by Academy of Cheese, not WSET School London. This is not a WSET qualification.

Academy of Cheese is also hosting a two-day advanced level course on 16-17 September - Academy of Cheese Level Three Tasting & Sensory Profiling. School students can get 10% off with the discount code 10%_L3TASTE.


What does the course cover?

The day-long, classroom course will help prepare students for the Academy of Cheese Level 1 assessment (which students can take in their own time online).

The course will cover:

  • How to taste cheese professionally
  • Milk composition and cheese making
  • Cheese maturation
  • Cheese history
  • Cutting, wrapping and storage
  • Creating show-stopping cheeseboards
  • PLUS: a special session looking at perfect pairings of cheese and wine

Students will taste 12 cheeses through the day, plus wine samples.


Who should take part?

Anybody who loves cheese! Level One is popular with a huge range of people, including foodie members of the public, who want to increase their knowledge to share with friends and family, but also industry professionals: chefs, sommeliers, retailers, cheesemakers, wholesalers and food and drink writers.


What’s included?

  • 09:30 AM – 05:00 PM class at WSET School London
  • 12 cheeses to taste (these include raw milk and non-vegetarian cheeses; substitutions not possible)
  • Wine samples
  • The printed Academy of Cheese Delegates’ pack, including a book profiling 25 Cheeses and Cheese Tasting Sheets
  • 12 months access to the Academy of Cheese Level One Learning Road and Cheese Library
  • The Level One assessment (must be taken within 12 months of signing up)
  • Upon successful completion of the assessment you will also receive a pin badge designating you as an Academy of Cheese Associate and a professional certificate suitable for framing

About Patrick McGuigan

Patrick McGuigan

Patrick McGuigan is one of Britain’s leading cheese writers and communicators. He has written about cheese for titles including The Telegraph, The Financial Times and Delicious, and is the author of two books: The Philosophy of Cheese, published by The British Library, and The Cheese Life, co-authored with Mathew Carver.

His 15-year career in cheese has has seen him visit and learn from cheesemakers, affineurs and cheesemongers everywhere from the Swiss Alps to the pastures of Vermont, and throughout the UK.

He is also a senior judge at the World Cheese Awards, a member of the Guilde des Fromagers and the co-founder of the British Cheese Weekender festival. He holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and the French Wine Scholar qualification.