As Australia’s largest cheese education and appreciation company, we specialise in tasting events with Artisan and Farmhouse Cheeses produced by the very best cheese makers from Australia and around the world.
We aim to boost the Australian public’s knowledge of and interest in the wonderful world of cheese through a series of appreciation courses, activities, cheese making workshops and local and international cheese tours.
We support and promote cheese makers who use the kind of traditional cheese making techniques that are endangered by modernisation and standardisation in the food industry and are proud advocates of ‘Slow Food’ principles, that promote biodiversity and quality in artisan cheese and farming practices in general.
Since 2006 McIntosh & Bowman Cheesemongers have been offering cheese lovers of Australia the opportunity to explore and indulge their passion for all things cheese with a variety of tasting events, culinary tours and cheese making workshops.
Claudia Bowman (nee McIntosh), of the ‘McIntosh & Bowman’ partnership is the face of the company and has been the driving force and inspiration, drawing from her original and exceptional experiences abroad.
Her passion for cheese is immense and for the past 7 years she has immersed herself in cheese focused activities around the world. Her experience includes:
- Completing the UK Cheese Guild Diploma gaining a High Distinction.
- Working at Sheridan’s Cheese Mongers, Ireland’s most prestigious cheese retailer/wholesaler, for 1 year, also running their farmers market stall in the famous Temple Bar.
- Doing work experience with Neal’s Yard Dairy, London and working for them in Italy at Cheese! The Slow Food ‘International Cheese Festival’ in Bra, Piedmonte.
- Judging and assisting at cheese competitions including, ‘The British Cheese Awards’, England 2005; where she judged three categories.
- Making a raw cows milk, washed rind, vegetarian rennet cheese, south of the Belfast border with Irish Cheese maker ‘Silke Cropp’.
- Attending courses run by international cheese expert Juliet Harbutt in Britain 2005.
- Backpacking around Europe specifically to visit cheese makers and famous cheese shops and regions such as Parma in Reggio Emillia, Italy; home of the famous Parmegiano Cheese.
- In May 2006 Claudia was back in England, again working with the coordinator of the ‘The British Cheese Awards’ helping to organise Britain’s premier cheese event.
- In 2008 Claudia took part in the 54th Fancy Food Show at Jacob K. Javits Centre New York.
- 2008 also saw Claudia representing NSW at ‘Salone del Gusto’ and ‘Terra Madre’ in Italy with the international ‘Slow Food’ organisation in October.
- 2011 June CURRENTLY PROFILING 750 CHEESE FROM 22 COUNTRIES for a deluxe cheese application for iPhone and iPads etc…… soon to be released!!
- In July 2011 Claudia is again heading over to NYC where she will partake in the Cheese Monger Invitational 2011 as a competitor and representative for Australia in what has been described as the ‘Cheese Olympics’ for cheese mongers.
- In November 2011 Claudia was invited to be a Supreme Panel of International Judges at ‘The World cheese Awards’ in Birmingham, UK- see The news page for the results and for more detail about her experience
- on January 23rd 2012 Claudia will be inducted into the ‘Guilde des Fromages’ a prestigious cheese association in France. Official members are being flown to Australia for the ceremony in Alexandria, Sydney.
Claudia’s events and presentations are a way of sharing these unique experiences with cheese lovers in Australia and are centred around breaking down the barriers that exist in people’s minds regarding the exclusivity of cheese and fine food.
