Fromagiers: Who are these Cheese Experts?
Wisconsin Identifies Intelligentsia
MADISON, Wis. (April 2006) - American cheeses are enjoying a love fest in the United States. Per capita consumption is on track to reach 34 pounds by 2015, specialty cheese sales are on the rise and cheese is no longer just an ingredient on restaurant menus - it has earned a stand-alone role, starring on the cheese course.
In the culinary world, fromagiers are fueling America's growing appreciation for unique cheese flavors, textures and shapes. Chefs entrust their menus and diners their palates to these self-proclaimed cheese experts. But just who arethese "fromagiers," and what experience and credentials do they have?
1st of Its Kind Research. The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) recently conducted primary research to uncover the answers. It included in-depth interviews with 108 fromagiers from foodservice operations and 9 from the retail trade.
Key Findings
The research results offer a clear look at the training, education and career path of a fromagier and substantiate the belief that the career has its roots in on-the-job training. More than two-thirds of fromagiers have not taken any formal course work or received academic certification in their field. Of the small percentage of fromagiers who did take coursework, most did so through a culinary school, and for more than half of the fromagiers, the coursework lasted less than one year.
However, what fromagiers may lack in textbook training, they make up for on-the-job. Nearly all fromagiers work full time for only one restaurant and 42 percent have worked in the cheese industry for more than 10 years. Most fromagiers have accumulated their current cheese information "on the job,"
through business or professional publications or from distributors, lending credibility to the important link distributors play in the challenge of cheese education.
Findings from the research also validate current cheese trends. The popularity of a cheese course or cheese flight is evident in operations with a fromagier on staff - 66 percent offer cheese plates, 43 percent offer a cheese course or flight and 34 percent offer cheese à la carte. In addition, steps are taken to preserve the quality of cheese served, with one-fifth of fromagiers using a climate controlled facility to store and age cheese.
Wisconsin Looks Ahead
Unlike a wine sommelier, fromagiers currently receive no formal accreditation. Recognizing this void, WMMB is developing the first accreditation program of its kind in the world. WMMB's short course program debuts in May 2006 with plans to offer the course once yearly.
"It's appropriate that such a course would be offered in Wisconsin, the leader of American specialty cheeses and the only state in the country that certifies master cheesemakers," said Dave Leonhardi, WMMB director, Cheese Education and Events, referring to Wisconsin's unique Master Cheesemaker
program, patterned after the rigorous standards of European certification.
"The course that fromagiers can take will offer a formal education in the many aspects of their job, especially qualifying them to choose and describe outstanding American cheeses from the standpoint of who makes them, their
flavor profiles and the extreme care they receive - from the fresh milk to distribution."
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, a nonprofit organization of Wisconsin dairy producers, promotes the consumption of milk, cheese and other dairy products made in America's Dairyland.
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