We will be running a series of events over the next few months. The first was a public symposium on Flavour extraction; the second was on Flavour in Coffee and Wine; the next will be on Cheddar Cheese; others are at the planning stage.

[date tbc] Fermentations                         

[date tbc] The Maillard Reaction                       

In many ways, the modern cheesemaker has a less sophisticated understanding of his product than his great-grandmother did.

Recently rediscovered, Dora Saker’s Practical Cheddar Cheese-making (1917) has acquired cult status amongst cheesemakers.  Through a series of ad-hoc workshops, they have gone back to re-examine the tenets of Cheddar cheese making, experimenting with pre-ripening raw milk to encourage the development of non-starter lactic acid bacteria, cutting the curd at different times to change its structure and ability to lose moisture, and slowing the make to encourage the development of different flavours and texture.  Continued experimentation has given the participants a more sophisticated understanding of—and level of control over—the complex factors at play in raw milk cheese making.   

Their experiments have also revealed the extent to which the ‘traditional’ recipe for Cheddar cheese has changed in the past century.  Factors that have been taken for granted—like the best breed of cow for Cheddar cheese making, or the appropriate texture of the curd at milling—are suddenly being reexamined at every turn. 

Ultimately, this work serves to challenge our very understanding of what Cheddar cheese is.  This presentation will give a chance to experience cheeses at the centre of the British cheese revolution.

Speakers:

Randolph Hodgson is the owner and Chairman of Neal’s Yard Dairy. He was born in 1956, and after an upbringing in Hong Kong, read Food Science and Chemistry at King’s College, University of London.  He has only ever had one job; Neal’s Yard Dairy was founded in 1979. A cheesemaking business, Neal’s Yard Creamery, was spun off in 1985. 

In 1990, Randolph founded the Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association, which represents over 150 British farmhouse cheesemakers.  His impact on London’s food scene extends beyond the confines of the cheese industry: in the late 1990s, he was instrumental in the development of Borough Market as London’s leading gastronomic retail destination.  Faced by the demise of raw milk Stilton, in 2005 Randolph established Stichelton Dairy with Joe Schneider on the Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire, with the aim to revive Stilton cheese made with unpasteurised milk.

Randolph was awarded an OBE in 2007 for his contribution to the British cheese industry.

Bronwen Percival was educated at Wellesley College and Oxford University.  After two years in the Peace Corps in Senegal, she returned to make cheese at a dairy in New Jersey.  Further study at Oxford brought her into contact with Randolph Hodgson and Neal’s Yard Dairy; she left academe to assume a role within the company.  Bronwen is now the cheese buyer, working with Randolph on new cheese development, quality assurance, and selection.

Book tickets here.

Previous meetings

From plant to cup: flavour in coffee and wine
21 January 2010, 7pm
Senate House, University of London (directions are here)
(Hosted by the Centre for the Study of the Senses, Institute of Philosophy, School of Advanced Study)

Speakers:
James Hoffmann, Square Mile Coffee Roasters and World Barista Champion 2007
James Hoffmann and his partner Anette Moldvaer own Square Mile Coffee Roasters.  He provides training, education and consultancy to a broad spectrum of the coffee industry, including barista training, course development, general coffee education, cupping and tasting training and more café-specific advice and consulting. He publishes a coffee blog, jimseven.com. James was the World Barista Champion in 2007.

Jamie Goode, author, Wine Science
Jamie Goode is a London-based wine writer who came to the field via a PhD in plant biology and several years of working as a book editor. He publishes wineanorak.com, which is now one of the leading wine websites. He won the 2007 Glenfiddich Wine Writer of the year award, writes the weekly wine column for The Sunday Express, and contributes regularly to a range of publications including World of Fine Wine, Wine Business International and Wines and Vines. His first book, Wine Science, won the Glenfiddich Award for Drinks Book in 2006. He's currently working on a book on Natural Wine.

Flavour extraction
Monday 30th November 2009                        
6:30 pm                         
Senate House, University of London
(Hosted by the Centre for the Study of the Senses, Institute of Philosophy, School of Advanced Study)

Keynote speaker:   

Hervé This is a physical chemist at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) in Paris.  He has achieved international renown for his part (along with the late Nicholas Kurti) in developing molecular gastronomy as an academic discipline.

He is scientific director of the French Academy of Sciences’ “Food Science & Culture” foundation, which runs seminars and scientific courses. Hervé has also collaborated extensively with chefs from around the world, developing new tools and innovative approaches in the professional kitchen.  Three-Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire works closely with Hervé to develop recipes based on themes from his molecular gastronomy research.

Other speakers:

Tony Conigliaro owns the bar at 69 Colebrooke Row and is one of the UK’s pioneering drinks creators. He has spearheaded the area of the industry that has embraced the science of chemistry and utilizes equipment more commonly seen in pharmaceutical laboratories and industrial kitchens such as centrifuges, rotovapour, sous vides, pot stills, cold smokers and water baths. Tony has helped open and run bars for almost 12 years, during which time he has won numerous awards, including International Bartender of the Year 2009.

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