Each year, the Mons Formation intake is intimate and deliberately selected. Travelling to France specifically for this experience, I decided to immerse myself more deeply than anyone had before.
Mons Formation is rigorous. It is designed for professionals to master everything from the microbiology of raw milk to the precise gestures required to cut and wrap a 32-kilo wheel. When I applied, I knew I wanted full immersion. I became the first person in the education centre's history to complete three weeks of intensive training in a single, continuous block.
Those weeks were physically exhausting and deeply affirming. My hands were always cold, my brain was overflowing, but my heart was incredibly full. We worked shoulder-to-shoulder with master affineurs, but the most beautiful moments happened after the work was done. Sitting around a table with my international cohort, breaking bread and sharing stories over the very cheeses we had tended to that day, I was reminded of why I do this. Good food transcends language. It connects us instantly.
French cheese is shaped by the affineur's hands, but it starts with the earth beneath their feet. Next week, we explore the magic word of French gastronomy: terroir.
