This years meeting of FACEnetwork – Farmhouse and Artisan Cheese and dairy producers’ European Network - will be held at the School of Artisan Food in Welbeck Estate, Nottinghamshire (UK) from Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th October 2016.

The Congress will be hosted by the UK’s Specialist Cheesemaker’s Association.

Programme

• Tuesday 25th: Farm visits - number of visits to farms and small dairies including producers located beneath the stunningly beautiful ‘Stannage Edge’ in the nearby Peak District National Park.

• Wednesday 26th: General Assembly and meetings of the Hygiene, Marketing and Technology groups - followed by dinner at a venue on the Welbeck Estate

• Thursday 27th: The FACEnetwork Congress with lunch buffet of European cheeses

Topics of the congress will be:

• British ‘Territorial’ Cheeses
• The work of the SCA
• The Mathematics of Microbiological Sampling (explained simply for the non-scientists!)
• The application of flexibility criteria in small-scale cheese dairies
• Experiences of some small producers - and a small specialist retailer - about their products, the nature of their businesses and the factors affecting their growth and development.

The congress will be presented in English.

Delegates will be invited to bring cheeses from their own countries to share at the lunch on the day of the congress.

Due to the size of the lecture theatre, place numbers are limited to 90.

Congress fee

The price of the three day event is anticipated to be £130.00 (= approx. 165.00 Euro). The price includes lunches and the social dinner along with drink/refreshments.

A booking form will be set up for FACE members on the School of Artisan Food Website to process the payments.

Accomodation

The Best Western Lion hotel offers a discounted rate of £60 B&B for single or £70 for double occupancy for anyone who quotes “The School of Artisan Food”. They have 36 rooms in nearby Worksop, a mile or two from the railway station. The congress venue is a short taxi ride away and there are a couple of good local companies. Among the lower-priced options, there is also a Travelodge in Worskop.

The IBIS in Barlborough is further away - and you would possibly need to drive in if staying there.

You find more accomodation options on the school’s website www.schoolofartisanfood.org

Please note that some of the hotels listed on the school’s website are a little on the expensive side. Check the rates on the hotel website before booking! Browns B&B is very close (2 miles) to the school and reasonably priced - though the lack of internet connectivity can be problematic for some.

Transport

The School of Artisan Food is close to the town of Worksop and the nearest train stations are Worksop or Retford. There are regular train services from Manchester Airport, which has good international connections and a train link to Worksop via Sheffield. There are also regular train services from Birmingham airport.

While it is smaller and less well-connected, East Midlands Airport is a regional airport near Nottingham with coach services to Sheffield and connecting rail links from there to Worksop. Another option is Leeds Bradford airport. Both airports may necessitate hiring a car to reach the venue, alternatively.