Click here for Greater Long Island newsletters. Click here to download the iPhone app.
Making cheese.
Storing and handling cheese.
Even marketing and communicating about cheese.
Joseph Ciardullo and Shannon Voelkel of C’est Cheese can do it all. Of course, regulars already knew that.
But the two are now certified as American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professionals.
So stamp it.
“This is a big deal in the cheese world and even bigger because prior to the two of us being certified, there were only two on Long Island,” said Ciardullo, who owns C’est Cheese, located at 216B Main Street in Port Jefferson. “Now there are four and two of them are from C’est Cheese!”
Ciardullo and Voelkel were among 120 people from 44 companies who managed to pass the 8th ACS Certified Cheese Professionals Exam, which was held last month in Pittsburgh.
There are today more than 1,000 certified cheese pros in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Mexico and Europe, according to to an announcement this week from C’est Cheese.
The exam is based on the knowledge and skills required to successfully perform cheese-related tasks in jobs across the industry.
Testing encompasses a broad range of topics including raw ingredients, the cheesemaking process, storing and handling cheese, selecting distributors, marketing and communicating about cheese, nutrition, and regulations and sanitation, according to a description.
“The exam consists of a wide body of knowledge,” said Ciardullo “so passing the exam and being part of such a well-educated group of cheese professionals is an honor.”
The exam is the first and only exam of its kind
“It’s definitely a rigorous examination, and I’m just happy that C’est Cheese has proven that we can offer that level of expertise to our patrons,” said Voelkel.
Photo: Joseph Ciardullo and Shannon Voelkel of C’est Cheese. (courtesy photos)
