Beth passed the ACS CCP Exam!

Beth Chevalier, the Cheese department manager at the Brattleboro Food Co-op, passed the American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional® (ACS CCP®) Exam this past June. The Exam, though not commonly known outside cheesemonger and maker circles, is notorious in the U.S. artisanal cheese community as the cheese equivalent of the bar exam. For the layperson, it may be more helpful to think of this as something akin to becoming a sommelier of cheese. By any standard, it is a huge achievement, and the Brattleboro Food Co-op community is immensely proud of her effort. 

Just to be eligible to take the test, a person is required to have at least four thousand hours of professional experience in the cheese industry (compare that to the three thousand hours required to take the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor exam). On top of that, it requires an enormous amount of additional preparation, even for those who have worked in this sphere for many years. 

 “I’ve never studied that hard…I don’t even think I studied that hard in college,” she said. Her binder of reading materials was five inches thick; her stack of flashcards was twice that height. All in all she spent about six months studying, mostly on her own. She also took workshops and attended Jasper Hill’s Cheese Camp, which is geared specifically toward preparation for the Exam. 

The test covers a huge range of topics: food safety, history, cheesemaking, inventory management, business, and innumerable other facets of the industry. Those taking the test have a limit of three hours to answer all one hundred and fifty multiple choice questions. She was positive she would fail. 

“I’m someone who was born with imposter syndrome,” she said. Passing the test was hugely validating, and, as she says, a big relief—if only because it means she doesn’t have to take it again. There are barely over a thousand ACS CCP®’s around the world; as is the case with other tests of this nature, many people fail on their first try. 

The ACS CCP® designation is relatively new. It was created in 2013 by the American Cheese Society to fill a gap—previously no such certification existed. Beth posits that the Exam was partly created as a way to legitimize the U.S. cheese industry, which is often seen as the immature younger cousin of the European cheese world, with its centuries of history, traditions, and regulations. For decades, the keepers of quality in Europe have actively worked to maintain high standards for their prized foods: the appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) labels, which designate by law where and how certain cheeses can be made, have been in operation in France since 1925; the protected designation of origin (PDO) program is a similar indication in the E.U. that has existed since 1992; rules for the making of Roquefort cheese were set into law in the 1400’s. These protections are a form of respect for the foodways of Europe, and the U.S. cheese industry deserves the same. The American Cheese Society has done a tremendous amount to get us further down that path. 

In addition to the empowerment and validation, the knowledge Beth acquired in the process of preparing for the Exam has been a great boon in her role as manager of the Cheese department. One of the most important results of her studies is that she’s able to pass along the knowledge and enthusiasm to her employees and coworkers. 

The Brattleboro Food Co-op congratulates Beth Chevalier, ACS CCP, on this wonderful achievement! 

By Ruth Garbus