Do you ever feel . . .
~ like you want more mindfulness, passion, and finery in your life?
~ your job isn’t as fulfilling as you’d hoped it would be?
~ wishful that eating, talking, and learning about food could be a career?
~ you want more from your mealtimes than just fuel?
~ artisanal cheeses and fine foods sounds nice, but . . . then what?
~ mealtimes are stressful and frustrating?
~ you’d love to learn about cheese, but you don’t want to just work behind a cheese counter?
~ you’d love to learn more about cheese, but to what end?
If so, we have your solution!
Becoming a cheese professional is now accessible from the comfort of your own home! We’re so excited to offer this course and share our knowledge with those who want to foray into the fine and elegant world of cheese.
We admit, laughingly, that a “cheese professional” seems fairly undefined - almost made up. And in part, we did make some of it up, crafting our business from scratch, creating our own philosophy, and building all of our events and products from that. (For an in-depth look at our brand philosophy, watch our video where we go through the whole juicy story of our brand below, or go HERE.)
The cheese world is expansive and quite frankly, daunting to a novice. There is so much to learn about how it’s made, what affects the quality and taste, the various styles and aging processes, pairings, how to make a board, how to buy, how to care for it, how to consume . . . and this is all just the basics. (We’ve got more advanced courses coming soon—stay tuned!)
What does being a cheese professional really mean?
There are probably lots more things you can do with your cheese knowledge than we’ll have listed here, and we encourage innovation and deciding how you want this education to fit in your life.
But to help you see how you could apply this in your life, here is how we’ve used our education at the Napa Table:
Hayley started her true cheese career working behind the counter as a cheesemonger in a cheese shop, Antonelli’s, in Austin. You’ll see cheesemongers behind the cheese counter in a grocery store and any specialty shop (our favorite) selling fine cheeses and wares. She prepared cheese and cheese boards for customers, helped them pick out cheeses, and gave recommendations for pairings. A truly fun way to share your knowledge and skills with others!
Nowadays, we LOVE holding events—hosting an intimate soiree with people that have come to enjoy enjoy enjoy. We hold tastings where we educate our diners and build a full meal just around cheese and pairings, entertaining them with the history and facts about what they’re consuming. They come together for a few hours of finery, tasty food, education, and appreciation for what they’re eating (all aspects that stem from our brand philosophy of mindfulness and connection).
Sometimes we collaborate with other professionals for events, such as bakers, wineries, or chocolatiers. The themes and focuses vary and we create something wonderful every time for our customers.
We also offer in-person classes, some of which include cheese board basics and mindfulness. Doing these classes is a lovely way for us to share with others in a small setting, and our customers leave with new knowledge of a world they didn’t know much about, and tools to enhance their lives. (If you’re interested in attending classes but don’t live here in Napa, consider joining our TABLESIDE program!)
In addition to events and classes, for local customers we also offer custom cheese and charcuterie boards for order. We relish the chance to create these pieces of delicious artwork for our customers. Sometimes our board offerings vary into more focused platters and plates, making our skills versatile and appealing to a wide audience.
Occasionally we consult with other establishments such as wineries, restaurants, and small businesses for events, menu suggestions, and other services.
And now we offer digital classes and services to those who can’t join us in Napa!
Read on to find out exactly what this package includes.
A special note about this course:
Because our business is built on our brand philosophy principles of mindfulness, intentionality, and connection, we feel it’s crucial for students who want to learn the cheese world from us do so from this same mindset, as it shapes our classes and intentions. Therefore, we’ve included as an extra bonus our introductory course “Nourish Your Soul: A French Approach to Mindful Eating and Living” in this package, and kindly urge you to start there and not skip the modules.
This is for you if you:
~ are interested in learning about fine cheese and foods
~ are hoping to find greater connection with yourself and others
~ want a more mindful and intentional approach to life
~ want food and mealtimes to be a source of joy and nourishment for body AND soul
~ are excited about turning a hobby and passion into a career
~ want to learn the ins and outs of the cheese industry
~ hope to learn the theory and practice of creating artistic and delicious cheese boards
Details:
We’ve loaded this package to give you the best start in the cheese world. You’ll learn all about:
~ the philosophy behind mindfulness, intentionality, and connection, and how we infuse those principles into our business and lives
~ the Slow Food Movement and how that shapes our brand,
~ the aspects of mindful eating and turning food into real nourishment
~ the various styles of cheese, its history and various regions
~ the science and practicality behind taste and aroma and how to decipher the nuances of them in cheese
~ how to select pairings to eat with standalone cheeses, in a meal, or on a board
~ the nitty gritty of souring and buying your cheese: how to evaluate brands, the cheese itself and its ripeness, how to eat it, care for it, store it, and use it
~ the theory and art behind cheese and charcuterie board creation, including demos, formulas, pairing, cutting the cheese, and folding charcuterie
Along with all this you’ll receive the necessary guides and resources to help you best learn the content, including workbooks, reference guides, and demo videos. Plus we’ve topped it off with bonus content giving you even more information and help, and an in-depth look into our world, AND a mini Italian Olivewood cheese board to keep and use!
YOUR PURCHASE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING CONTENT:
Course 1 - “Soul Nourishment: A French Approach To Mindful Eating and Living”
This course includes 3 modules that give you and in-depth look into the philosophy of The Napa Table and help you shift your mindset on food. Module 1 will walk you through who we are and why we started this company. Module 2 will teach you all about the Slow Food Movement, its history, and how we can incorporate it into our lives. Module 3 builds on those principles and teaches you about mindful eating, why it’s important, and how to implement it.
Plus this course is packed with bonus content, including a digital (or printable) workbook to help you actually internalize the concepts and put them into practice, and some quick reference guides to use for study and quick referral.
Course 2 - “Cheese Foundations: Consuming, Curating, & Boards”
This course includes 4 modules that bring you into the expansive and nuanced world of cheese! Module 1 is our foundational course, where we teach you all about how cheese is made (and why the factors are so important to the outcome of the product), the various styles, and the regions they come from. Module 2 is about the science of your olfactory system, where we guide you through tasting (and HOW to taste), and teach you about pairings and flavors. In Module 3, we get into the nitty gritty of how to purchase cheese (a typically overwhelming process for newbies!), how to care for it, and its shelf life and storage.
Module 4 is our most desired class, but we put it at the end because it’s not feasible unless you’ve had the foundational knowledge beforehand . . . our cheese board making class! This is different from our typical board guides and tutorials that we offer in our Tableside Series, which are guides and directions for anyone with no previous cheese knowledge. THIS course is the in-depth theory behind it, where we empower you with the knowledge and skills needed to make any cheese board you desire.
This course is chock full of bonus content, including a workbook to help you keep track of your learnings, notes, and preferences (a very important thing to record while you’re learning this course!). We also include study guides, quick reference guides to all the concepts we discuss, pairing guides, buying guides, and demo modules.
In addition to these two courses, we have some amazing bonus content that comes with it!
*BONUS CONTENT:
~ 10” mini Italian Olivewood cheese board
~ E-book: Case Studies in Iconic Cheeses: An In-Depth Guide to 18 Classic Cheeses
~ Video - Behind the Counter: Hayley Cracks a Parm Wheel
~ Access to our private FaceBook group (Engage directly with us and other members at our table!)
~ Special Rate of 40% off Consultation Services
As you can see, we’ve packed a lot of content in to prepare you for your professional cheese journey.
And as a side note, if you’re very interested in cheese and learning all of this just for personal use, this is a PERFECT course for you as well. Enjoy your newfound education and see how it enhances your life!
Are you ready to begin? Join us at the table!
This course offers foundational education for those who want to become cheese professionals and work in the cheese industry. We include three mini courses that cover cheese making, styles, tasting, pairing, buying, handling, curating, and the theory and practice behind creating a cheese and charcuterie board. This course also includes our introductory course, "Nourish Your Soul: A French Approach to Mindful Eating and Living."
FAQ:
What is the cost of this course?
THIS course is packed with information and the tools to help you become a cheese professional! We charge $599 for this mega course. You can pay it in one lump sum or split it into 2 payments to pay over a month.
Will this course make a cheese expert?
YES and no. While we give you the tools here to become a true professional, much of your success will depend on how seriously you take the course and how much studying and homework with it you’re willing to do. (Psst, the homework and studying is FUN!) It will give you the foundations of being a cheese professional, and we’re currently working on more advanced courses to add to our offerings. Stay tuned!
Do I receive any bonus perks with this course purchase?
YES! ~You will receive an e-book we’ve created called Case Studies in Iconic Cheeses: An In-Depth Guide to 18 Classic Cheeses, a behind the scenes video of handling a gigantic parm wheel (you’ll know the significance of that once you take the course!), access to our private FaceBook group (a great resource where you can engage directly with us and other members at our table!), and a deeply discounted special rate of 40% off our consultation services if you want more direct and immediate help from us.