The Craft and Business of Retailing Artisan Cheese

Wednesday, June 9 – Saturday, June 12, 2010

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:vertical-cheese-counter

  • 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. Doors open Thursday and Friday at 8:30 am for coffee; class begins at 9 am and ends at about 5 pm. Thursday and Friday evenings are free.

Saturday morning we visit Portland Farmers Market, considered one of the best farmers markets in the country, especially to see the artisan cheesemakers there, then we back to a classroom to wrap up. The course adjourns around noon, in time for you to catch a flight home or head out to enjoy Oregon in the late spring.

Registration and Fine Print

Regular tuition is $1795 per person for this professional-level class. To qualify for the $1545 early enrollment discount tuition, you must be enrolled and paid in full by April 15, 2010.

Tuition includes:stichelton-cheese

  • 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

Participants from outside the Portland area can contact us for help with arranging hotel accommodations.

A deposit of $495 is required for registration, and is non-transferable. Payment in full by check or credit card for early tuition discount is required by April 15, 2010. After May 1, 2010, 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 May 15, 2010. Through May 1, all payments will be refunded in case of cancellation minus a $100 administrative fee. After May 1, 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 May 1, 2010. Food by Hand Seminars LLC is not responsible for any non-refundable travel expenses incurred by individual students.