The Craft and Business of Retailing Artisan Cheese
January 20, 2012: Enrollment is now open for the fourth annual presentation of The Craft and Business of Retailing Artisan Cheese, from May 30 – June 2, 2012, in Portland.
Congratulations to Steve Jones for winning first place in the 2011 Cheesemonger Invitational in Long Island City, New York, besting 40 competitors from around the world! Here’s a recent interview with Steve from About Face magazine.
Taught by cheesemonger/entrepreneur Steve Jones, owner of Cheese Bar in Portland, Oregon, this intensive seminar is a three-day mini-apprenticeship in the traditional craft of the cheesemonger. You’ll experience first-hand how a veteran cheesemonger plans, stocks, finances and runs his operation. There will be a stellar line-up of speakers on business savvy and cheese retailing, field trips to complementary businesses, and lots of guided tasting of the world’s finest cheeses and the foods and beverages that complement them.
Topics include:
- business planning for cheese retailers
- professional tasting skills
- telling the story of cheese to your customers
- creating your unique retail mix
- cheese display, aging and storage
- alternative profit channels for retailers
- working with cheese distributors, farmstead cheesemakers and other producers
- publicity and marketing for small food businesses
- designing the cheese shop space
- pairing cheeses with beer and wine
- using the internet to enhance your business
The seminar takes place in several locations, including Cheese Bar, and includes visits to complementary businesses. Class meets Wednesday evening, all day Thursday and Friday, and Saturday morning; Thursday and Friday evenings are free.
Saturday morning will include a session with commercial real-estate specialists and a wrap-up with Steve Jones. We will adjourn by noon.
Portland is a great place to study the latest trends in specialty foods. Check out this story from the Toronto Globe & Mail.
Registration and Fine Print
Regular tuition is $1795 per person for this professional-level class. To qualify for the $1595 early enrollment discount tuition, you must be enrolled and paid in full by April 1, 2012.
Tuition includes:
- all instruction
- opening dinner Wednesday night at Cheese Bar
- lunch Thursday and Friday
- morning coffee, drinks and snacks on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
- all tastings
- all materials
- all course-related transportation
For participants from outside the Portland area, we have a discount rate arranged at the Silver Cloud Inn, NW Portland. Contact us for help with arranging hotel accommodations.
A deposit of $495 is required for registration, and is non-transferable. To qualify for the early tuition discount, you must pay the remaining balance in full by check or credit card by April 1, 2012. After April 1, 2012, registrations must be accompanied by payment in full. We accept VISA, Mastercard and Discover, and checks.
For questions or to register, please contact Food by Hand Seminars director Heidi Yorkshire by email at foodbyhand@gmail.com or by phone at 503-335-3155. We want to communicate directly with every potential participant to make sure that the seminar meets their needs, interests and expectations.
Cancellations: Notification must be made in writing by mail, fax or email, and received by Food by Hand Seminars LLC by April 1, 2012. Through April 1, 2012, all payments will be refunded in case of student cancellation, minus a $100 administrative fee. After April 1, 2012 we will not make refunds. Food by Hand Seminars LLC reserves the right not to refund.
Food by Hand Seminars LLC reserves the right to cancel the course if a minimum enrollment is not achieved. In that case, all payments will be refunded in full. A final decision on whether the course will take place will be made no later than April 15, 2012. Food by Hand Seminars LLC is not responsible for any non-refundable travel expenses incurred by individual students.