Hands up if you love cheese? Not the stuff you find in the supermarket, but specialty cheese made by small, artisan producers who are passionate about their craft. My hand's up! If yours is, the
Australian Specialist Cheesemakers' Association Cheese Show, on Saturday August 21st and Sunday August 22nd, is an event not to be missed. More commonly known as the Melbourne Specialist Cheese Show, it's held at the Crown Complex.
The Saturday starts with experts judging about 300 cheeses in the morning, with winners, including the Grand Champion Cheese, announced at the evening
dinner and ball at Crown's Studio 3 overlooking the river. Members of the public are welcome. It features four courses, wines by Mt Langhi Ghiran and beers by Grand Ridge Brewery.
On Sunday, it's a
public tasting day in the Palladium Room from 11am to 4pm amidst a glorious array of fromage (French for cheese) made by 25 specialist cheesemakers from across Australia.
It's a great opportunity to not only taste and buy, but also to talk to the people who so lovingly and tirelessly craft our wonderful cheeses. You can also learn all about cheese, from brie and camembert to blue, and the cheese-making process. It's also a great opportunity to support these small, passionate producers.
Saturday night's four-course dinner and ball costs $120.
Tickets to the Sunday Public Tasting Day are $40 at the door, with the option of purchasing $15 passes to wine/beer cheese-matching classes. It's $35 and $10 respectively if you pre-book online.
It's total hedonism if you love cheese. Hope to see you there.
