Big Cheese Weekender 2023 goes live to the market
Image: Big Cheese Weekender
The Academy of Cheese is thrilled to have joined forces again with artisanal cheesemakers, retailers and wholesalers for the fourth year running to create the Big Cheese Weekender 2023. Taking place 13th–15th October 2023, the aim of the weekend, whilst supporting the cheese industry, is to spread knowledge and enjoyment of this growing specialist sector to consumers
This year’s event takes on a dynamic new format over previous years’,with the festival being brought out live to the public, having been restricted to web-based virtual events in previous years. The Weekender will showcase some of the UK and Europe’s best cheese industry experts with a series of free and paid-for events and competitions, including live and streamed cheese tastings, such as the interactive “Spin The Wheel” cheese accompaniments workshop, Around the World in 80 Cheeses guided tasting and a blind tasting “Day in the Life of a Cheese Judge”event.Plans are afoot to take over local markets and high street cheese retailers, as well as live-streamed events being hosted via the website, www.bigcheeseweekender.com.
Saturday will see cheese traders at Borough Market celebrating the weekend with offers and masterclasses, whilst on Sunday a takeover of the monthly Chiswick Cheese Market includes 50% more cheese stalls, live events, cheesemaking demos and activities for children.
The British Cheese Weekender was originally set up in 2020 by food journalist and author, Patrick McGuigan, and Academy of Cheese Director, Tracey Colley, in response to the pandemic and its effects on independent British Cheesemakers. Building on the success of this inaugural event and the continued covid crisis, 2021 saw the event return for a second year reaching an even bigger audience. With the event firmly rooted in the hearts of the industry, Big Cheese Weekender returned, with its new internationally recognised title,for its third appearance in 2022 and is now, with the support and approval of the cheese community, a widely celebrated fixture on the annual cheese events calendar.
Academy of Cheese director, Tracey Colley commented, “We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing the Big Cheese Weekender to life with face-to-face masterclasses, gatherings and market celebrations. The talent and skills of our cheesemakers and cheesemongers deserve showcasing and this is an excellent way to get families and friends together to try new cheeses whilst having lots of fun!”
Big Cheese Weekender aims to raise awareness of the wonderful range of styles, flavours and varieties available, as well as the craftsmanship involved and the health benefits of cheese. It also hopes to repress any perceived snobbery of the industry, address any topical issues and, ultimately,persuade more customers to connect with their local cheesemakers, monger sand online retailers.
The Big Cheese Weekender kicks off at 3.45pmon Friday 13thOctober with a series of live-streamed events, whilst on-the-ground live reporting starts on Saturday morning and continues into Sunday. Both the trade and public are invited to join in and are directed to the event website www.bigcheeseweekender.com to start enjoying the activities.