Every two years, over one hundred cheese makers, scientists, and members of the cheese industry gather at North Cadbury Court in Somerset for presentation and discussion of current research on topics related to artisan cheese. Since their inception, the conferences have provided a clearing house for practical and technical information geared specifically toward this highly specialist audience. Just as importantly, they provide a chance to meet others within the industry and spend two days making connections and exploring new ideas.
Science of Artisan Cheese Conference Archive:
Select a year below to explore further information.
20-21st August 2024 We have an exciting line up of speakers preparing to join us this August, including:- Professor John Barlow, University of Vermont Quality Milk Research Lab - Ivan Larcher, Larcher Consulting - Professor Chris Reynolds, University of Reading - An update on the progress of the bovine TB vaccine field trials and rollout plans from APHAFurther details and booking here
23-24th August 2022 The presentations from this year's conference are available here. They included:- Developing a deployable cattle vaccine for bovine Tuberculosis - Dr Phil Hogarth, Lead Scientist for Bovine TB, Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) - New understanding of bovine TB transmission within herds: what can be done now to improve control? - Professor Cath Rees, University of Nottingham - The diagnostic and management challenge of bovine Tuberculosis - Keith Cutler, Synergy Farm Health - Microbial dynamics of Cornerstone cheese produced and aged at different locations - Dr Dennis D’Amico, University of Connecticut - Histamine formation in cheese: causes, consequences and remediation measures - Dr Stefan Irmler, Agroscope, Switzerland - Domestication of cheese fungi - Dr Jeanne Ropars, Université Paris-Saclay - Ladybug: a co-designed dairy farm to test innovative practices that match citizen expectations - Dr Matthieu Bouchon, INRAE Herbipole Marcenat - Return of the native: could artisan cheese save rare breeds? - Ruth Dalton, farming and wildlife specialist - Achieving diversity in grassland: how much is enough? - Paul Muto, Oliver Seeds - Sequestering carbon in soils: separating fact from fiction - Dr Julia Cooper, Newcastle University - Grassland management for climate change and sustainability - Professor Pippa Chapman, University of Leeds - Pasture-based solutions towards Net Zero dairy - Professor Michael Lee, Harper Adams University If you would like more information, please visit the website: http://scienceofartisancheese.com/
Tuesday 18th August 2020 Although we had to cancel the physical event in Somerset this year, we featured highlights in an online conference on Tuesday 18th August and made the event free for all to attend. The programme here included presentations on a wide range of topics, from progress toward a skin-test-compatible vaccine for bovine TB, to studies on the impact of forage preservation method on the quality of milk and cheese, to DIY tools for monitoring soil health, and more. If you would like more information, or to view presentations from conferences, please visit the website: http://scienceofartisancheese.com/
Tuesday 14th- Wednesday 15th August 2018 The fourth Science of Artisan Cheese Conference 2018 was held at North Cadbury Court in Somerset, UK and the following speakers presented;- Dr Catherina Berge, a preventive animal health and welfare specialist with particular interest in managing risk factors associated with raw milk production - Dr Paul Brassley, a historian from the University of Exeter, on the history of silage production in the UK - Dr Paul Dyer, University of Nottingham, on breeding and isolating new strains of Penicillium roqueforti for blue cheese production - Brad Greatrix, Nyetimber Estate, on performing field trials and using sensory analysis to inform changes to the production process - Ivan Larcher, of Larcher Consulting, on adapting scientific progress to serve artisan cheese production - Dr Bruno Martin, INRA Herbivore Nutrition Unit, who will present the results of a ground-breaking multi-year grazing study - Dr Ian Powell, Swinburne University of Technology, on trials for isolating raw milk microbes for use as adjunct cultures in Australia - Professor Cath Rees of the University of Nottingham, with an update on progress towards better testing for and control of M bovis - Dr Sebastien Roustel, Chr Hansen Denmark, on starter cultures and ripening defects - Professor Christopher Reynolds, University of Reading School of Agriculture, on the influence of diet, including supplemental fats, on milk composition - Dr Isabelle Verdier-Metz of the INRA Cheese Research Centre, on new research about microbes’ path from farm to milk to cheese, and how we can influence it - Dr Benjamin Wolfe, Tufts University, on advances in our understanding of the microbiome of fermented foods
Presentations are available here.
23-24 August 2016 The third Science of Artisan Cheese conference was held at North Cadbury Court in Somerset, UK. The first two conferences sparked research collaborations, forged new networks for sharing information, and led to the successful translation of a French guide to The Microbiology of Raw Milk into English. This conference, focused specifically on themes relevant to the production of farmhouse cheese. What practical solutions are available to the technical challenges facing small-scale cheese producers today? As the market for artisan cheese gets ever more competitive, how can understanding of and control over raw materials help farmhouse cheese makers ensure that their businesses are sustainable? And finally, how can we safely and responsibly explore the limits of what raw milk cheeses are capable of achieving? 2016 Presentations are available here
A technical revolution in cheesemaking; an aesthetic revolution in science - the second Science of Artisan Cheese Conference was a prestigious event with an international group of presenters. 2014 Presentations are available here.
A technical revolution in cheesemaking; an aesthetic revolution in science - the first Science of Artisan Cheese Conference took place on 19th/20th August 2012 at Cadbury Court in Somerset. It was a prestigious event with an international group of presenters. We were all particularly excited by the degree to which the topics covered relate to the production of farmhouse cheeses. 2012 Presentations are available here