Expert at eating cheese? Time to get the gloves on and start making your own
Whether it's chucked onto a salad, slathered onto a slice of thick crusty bread or melted onto a wood-fired pizza, cheese vastly improves pretty much everything it touches. But it ain't cheap, and if you've been spending all your money on delicious curds, we feel you and we're here to tell you that the magic of cheese-making is actually more approachable than you'd think.
Learn how to make everything from stinky blues and silky-smooth ricottas to sharp cheddars and salty fetas with these workshops and masterclasses around Melbourne. On top of the knowledge you'll need to whip up some fresh fromage at home, most of them will also send you home with a portion of your delicious creation.
If you'd rather leave it to the experts, then head to these cheese and wine bars.
Best for: learning how to make an assortment of cheeses
Melbourne-based business Cheeselinks offers essential ingredients, equipment and advice to commercial and home-based cheese and yoghurt makers. They also run workshops at CERES in Brunswick East and Homestead Enterprises in Wannon where you can learn how to make everything from deliciously stinky washed rind and blue cheeses to hard cheeses like cheddar and romano.
Best for: making soft cheeses like mozzarella
Giorgio Linguanti emigrated from Italy to Melbourne in 2004 and worked in a few local cheese factories. After a few years, he took his experience and used it to start his own business, That's Amore Cheese. Located in Thomastown, the business includes a shop, cheese laboratory, deli and café, and while the business makes several types of cheeses, it's best known for its award-winning mozzarella. Learn the secrets behind making it at a masterclass, which you can sign up for here.
Best for: learning the fundamentals of cheesemaking
The Craft and Co is a is a multi-purpose Collingwood venue that is part restaurant, part deli, and part craft producer with its own micro-brewery. When you buy a ticket to a masterclass, you'll get to learn the fundamentals of cheesemaking with local Melbourne makers while enjoying house-produced craft beer or wine and nibbles like charcuterie boards and pizzas. When the class wraps up, you'll get to take home some freshly made cheeses.
Best for: learning how to make cheese with simple kitchen equipment
When Chester Garcia and Matt Branagan set up Sydney’s Work-Shop in June 2013, their mission was simple: to help people unleash their creativity, and to offer short creative courses that didn’t cost a week’s pay. Their Melbourne hub in Fitzroy offers cheese classes that let budding cheesemongers get their hands dirty learning the ins and outs of milk, yoghurts and cheeses. Prepare yourself for plenty of taste tests!
“You need to be a stickler for cleanliness, sanitise every utensil you’re going to use with boiling water or a food-safe sanitiser.”
“Your cheese is only as good as your milk. Use non-homogenised, whole milk for the best cheese. Milk from Great Ocean Road Dairy and Fitzroy’s St David St are easily available.”
“If you make a mistake in your cheese making process, go through with the steps. You might just get a great cheese out of your accidents.”Even if you're lactose intolerant, it's hard not to love cheese – think about how much better it makes just about every meal (nachos without cheese? No thanks). Check out our favourite places to pick up a wedge or a wheel or two.
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