Cutting the Curd, cheese making classes

Louise Talbot enjoys cheese chat with students

Basic ingredients: Cutting the Curd class tutor Louise Talbot is a big cheese. Membership of the Specialist Cheese Makers Association, judge for the Global Cheese Awards and 20 years hands-on experience have led to high demand for her cheese-making skills. She regularly “cuts the curd” at top cookery schools such as Waitrose, Leiths and Divertimenti. Her childhood nostalgia for the New Zealand family farm and Grandad Alexander’s milking parlour bring a personal passion to her teaching. Let’s Make Cheese is a four-hour class popping up in various locations including Bristol, Dorset, London and Oxfordshire. For £65 students learn the “science behind turning milk into cheese” and create their own halloumi, mascarpone, mozzarella cheese and butter. Importantly, they also break for tea and cake and partake in a class quiz to test their curd-cutting kudos. All abilities and tastes are catered for, with recipes that use vegetarian rennet and a choice between raw or pasteurised milk. Students can also decide if they want to get completely stuck in or kick back, relax and have fun.

They say: You’ll sample cheese as it’s made and also take a selection home with you. The class is a good mix of demonstration, hands-on, theory and tasting taught in theatre style with one saucepan of milk.

We say: Who’d have thought one could have so much fun from a single saucepan of milk. Testimonials suggest a class that is professional, informative and inspirational. Louise has found a well-chosen niche and aims to bring cheese (making, tasting and tutoring) into the popular realm long enjoyed by the likes of wine and chocolate.

Read about Louise Talbot’s kitchen and cookery school secrets