World Class Cheese Makers & Experts Converge In Denver In April

Denver, Colorado — The Institut du Fromage is an elite cheese education institute, dedicated to spreading knowledge and understanding of cheese to professionals in the food and wine industries, has announced this year’s roster of experts leading seminars and Industry Panels.  The 1 ½ day Professional cheese event takes place on Tuesday, April 21st and Wednesday, April 22nd and brings together artisan cheesemakers, chefs, cheese industry professionals along with passionate Cheesemongers for one and half days of tasting, pairing and learning about American artisan cheeses. By utilizing the resources of the greatest Cheesemakers, Cheesemongers, chefs, and affineurs to lead these discussions, participants receive information from the most exciting minds in cheese today. 

Our four Institut du Fromage sessions across the country bring our students face-to-face with the experts who work with and create some of America’s best artisan cheeses.  The Denver Institut du Fromage event has sold out every year and with this line up of exceptional cheesemakers, we expect it to sell out early this year. With over 10 cheese makers and local chef’s, here’s a few of the experts that will be participating this April:

Allison Hooper –Vermont Creamery was started by two young visionaries devoted to new and non-traditional agriculture, Allison Hooper and Bob Reese. As a college student, Allison spent a summer traveling in France. She worked on a small family farm in Brittany, earning room and board while learning how to make all of the essentials of what was to become her life passion: cheesemaking.  Today, almost 30 later, they have won more than 100 national and international awards. Their butters and cheeses populate some of the most prestigious cheese boards in America. But what makes them the proudest perhaps, is that we have sustained a team of family farms and creamery artisans. Together we thrive making simply great cheese for discerning, appreciative eaters, home cooks and discriminating chefs alike.

Pat Ford – Co-founder of Beehive Cheese located in Northern Utah. Pat started his adventure in cheese back in 2005 after leaving a successful business in real estate. With the help from friends at Utah State University, Pat and his business partner developed a cheese recipe, built a creamery and started making cheese after a week of instruction. Since 2005, Beehive Cheese has made a name for themselves in the specialty cheese world with unique rubbed-rind cheeses. In all, Beehive’s cheeses have won 17 major awards. One of Beehive’s most notable cheese is Barely Buzzed, an espresso and lavender rubbed cheese. Barely Buzzed is considered by many as a great American original.  Pat Ford currently serves on the American Cheese Society Board of Directors and is passionate about supporting his local community through service and philanthropy.

Mary Keehn – The seeds of Cypress Grove Chevre were sown in the 1970’s. Possessing a background in biology, Mary's interest turned to breeding her goats. Within a few years, the size of the herd had increased significantly and she found herself with excess goat milk. She started experimenting with cheese making in her kitchen and with a small customer-base already growing, she officially launched Cypress Grove Chevre in 1983. Cypress Grove continues to grow, winning awards, and slowly increasing distribution to specialty food stores in all 50 states. The rest you might say is history…and a delicious one, thanks to Mary and her Arcata-based team lovingly referred to as "Grovers".

Kari Skibbie –Holland’s Family Cheese – Kari up on a hobby farm where my love for animals started in beautiful Wisconsin countryside.  After graduation she did nutritional work for dairy cattle and exotic animals along with running a calf raising network system.  She obtained her Wisconsin Cheese Makers license and brings a wealth of knowledge about the science and art of cheesemaking using raw milk.  Working with traditional raw milk Gouda recipes they produce some of the most authentic artisan cheeses made today.

All session  will take place at our host hotel the Warwick Denver Hotel (1776 Grant Street Denver, CO 80203). Seminar times start at 9:00 am to 5:30 pm on Tuesday, April 21st and 9:00 am to Noon on Wednesday, April 22nd 2015.  Ticket information can be obtained atwww.institutdufromage.com

About the Institut du Fromage

The Institut du Fromage is an elite cheese education institute, dedicated to spreading knowledge and understanding of cheese to both professionals in the food and wine industries, as well as keenly interested laymen. Our goal is to elevate the knowledge and discussion of the world's great cheeses, and in doing so, make it more accessible and available throughout the United States.  We want to lower the intimidation factor by increasing the knowledge of cheese purveyors, so in turn, they can take this information back to their employees and customers, to help spread the word. The cheese courses taught at this Institut du Fromage also reflect some of the material covered in the American Cheese Society's Body of Knowledge. By utilizing the resources of the greatest Cheesemakers, Cheesemongers, chefs, and affineurs to lead these discussions, participants receive information from the most exciting minds in cheese today.  For more information, visit www.institutdufromage.com.

Source: Institut du Fromage