Train Gourmet department staff in:
- Sensory analysis
- Understanding of cheese: what it is, how it is made, and how it can be used by the customer
- How to evaluate and care for cheese
- Proper cutting and wrapping techniques
- HACCP and best sanitation practices
- Customer interaction: how to sell cheese
Methodology
- Weekly three-hour sessions in company meeting room
- Each session to include:
- Sensory analysis practice
- Instruction and discussion (see Topics, below)
- Review of homework, sharing reflections, responding to questions
Topics:
- Session 1: Introduction to sensory analysis, from grass to milk
- Session 2: Preparation of milk for cheesemaking: heat treatments, physical treatments, milk maturation, inoculation and renneting
- Session 3: Cheesemaking techniques and the families of cheese
- Session 4: Cheese labeling and quality indicators, sourcing cheese
- Session 5: Notions of affinage
- Session 6: Discussing cheese
- Session 7: Case setting: principles and analysis
- Session 8: Cutting and wrapping
- Session 9: HACCP and sanitation protocols
Homework assignments:
- Each week participants will be asked to keep a journal of their cheese work, answering the following questions:
- How has what we covered in the previous session(s) been of practical use to you in your work?
- What have you discovered that you do NOT know?
- ‘Sell’ one cheese from the store’s stock to the group (one person per session)
- In addition, occasional homework may include assignments such as:
- Research and present your company’s procedures or protocols in the cheese department (e.g., receiving, unpacking, sanitation, triage, returns/recalls, inventory management, margin calculation) (one person per session to present)
- Research a cheese in the case: history & origins, milk source, make technology, awards/quality indicators, shelf life, in-store care, at-home applications, and the distribution route the cheese took to arrive at your store.
- Occasional tests or quizzes may be given. These will be corrected in class, together.
CORPORATE OBJECTIVES
- Incentivize cheese department staff through
- Skill development
- Pride in quality and service
- Colleague and customer recognition
- Preparation for ACS CCP status
- Company Growth through
- Increased competency in handling product and sales effectiveness leading to increased sales and loss reduction
- Preparation for cut to order program
- Competitive advantage
- Public recognition