Do you know about Slow Food’s raw-milk cheese festival that takes place every other year in Bra, Italy? It’s on every cheesemonger’s bucket list, but it can be difficult to navigate on your own: the town is small, there are few accommodations, parking is non-existent, etc. That’s why I’ve built a Northern Italy and Bra Cheese Festival Tour for Food Professionals, September 13-20, 2023. If you’ve always wanted to attend "Cheese," as it’s called, join us for a week in Piedmont where we take care of all the details – lodging, transportation, festival tickets, private tastings, chef-prepared meals, wine, and access to renowned experts.
Think of this as a V.I.P. tour to the world’s most inspiring cheese happening!
Unfamiliar with Slow Food’s biennial gathering? Picture cobblestone streets with makers from around the globe sampling their specialties, plus festival tents offering dairy-centric treats (buffalo milk gelato, anyone?), along with pop-up tastings in wine caves and restaurants throughout the village. Cheese educator Tenaya Darlington (a.k.a. Madame Fromage) calls the whole spectacle “the Burning Man of Cheese.”
Imagine 300,000 cheese fanatics taking over an Italian village, all in the name of feasting on traditional cheeses from around the world. The joy, the camaraderie, the samples, the aromas – it’s a life-changing experience! You’re sure to feel awe-struck and inspired by the creativity and generosity of the global cheese community.
After the festival, I’ve arranged a dynamic crew of cheese-preneurs to join us for a two-day after-party (I mean “conference”) so that you can apply what you’ve learned to building your brand. This is your chance to deep-dive into topics such as private labeling, importing, e-commerce, cheese-centric social media, chef collaborations, and more.
Check out the cheese experts below who will be joining our 2-day cheesepreneur seminar following the festival:
Patrick McGuigan, UK food journalist and cheese writer, will share What is Slow Food and Why Does it Matter to Cheese? along with PDO vs. Brands: A Tasting that Looks at the Pros and Cons of Protected Cheeses.
Emilio Mignucci, V.P. of Culinary Pioneering for Di Bruno Bros., will spend a day sharing stories and tips on Surviving Covid: Ways to Ensure Future Success in the Cheese Business, plus The Importance of Mission & Everything You Wanted to Know about E-Commerce & Importing.
Madame Fromage, an educator and cheese influencer from Philadelphia, will teach a hands-on workshop about The Importance of Social Media in the Cheese Biz. Plus, she'll co-host a tasting of regional cheeses and share tips on creating mouth-watering cheese photography.
Leonardo De Paoli, chef/owner of the award-wining Italian restaurant Oio in Luxembourg, will tell the story of his Italian cheese cart collaboration in a talk/demo called Cheese Cart Chronicles: Collaborative Cheese Education on Wheels.
Excited? We sure are! Please consider joining us, and feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you know who has dreamed of attending the Bra Cheese Festival! This tour is open to all food professionals – from retailers, to chefs, to reps, to anyone with a dream of opening up a cheese shop.
You can view the full itinerary on our website, where you'll also see more pictures of our beautiful lodging at a villa-style hotel near Bra. And yes, you will have time to enjoy swimming in the spectacular hotel pool overlooking the vineyards – we’ll make sure you have a glass of wine to take with you!
I look forward to hearing from you. Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions: anna@cheesejourneys.com.
P.S. We can't help but sharing our tour poster, designed by our illustrator and sous chef Milo Waterfield! Get ready for cheese, wine, wheels, and a whole lot of fun in Piedmont come September, 2023!