Cheesemongers

Tommy Amorim

Winner of the Cheesemonger Invitational 2021

Heir to a family tradition started by his grandfather, Tommy is a Certified Cheese Professional and Director of Product at Elevate Foods. Through industry documentaries and formats dedicated to pairings, he turns cheese selection into a unique sensory story, dedicated to showcasing master cheesemakers and excellence from around the world.

Michaël Belissa

Master Artisan Cheesemaker and Chevalier du Mérite Agricole

Michaël is the founder of the renowned Fromagerie Belisson in Clichy, as well as a benchmark figure in French cheesemaking, specialising in the selection, ageing and creation of signature specialities. President of the International Cheese Festival, teacher and judge in world competitions, he has dedicated his career to promoting artisanal excellence and the culture of the industry.

Ludovic Bisot

Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2015

A master cheesemonger at the helm of the celebrated boutique Tout un Fromage in Rambouillet, Ludovic Bisot is one of the most prestigious figures in French cheesemaking. Author of the acclaimed Encyclopédie Hachette du Fromage (winner of the Prix du Livre MOF 2025), he combines artisanal excellence with a deep commitment to sharing knowledge, in order to promote and safeguard the great culture of cheese.

Bérenger Bottagisi

Winner of the Lyre d’Or 2026

After a career in fine dining and four years honing his craft at the historic Fromagerie Janin, winning the Lyre d’Or 2026 established his talent on the international stage. His approach revolutionises the presentation of cheese, blending the rigour of pastry-making with the art of cheese sculpture to create harmonious tasting experiences.

Oksana Chernova

Founder of ProCheese and Member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers

An ambassador for Ukrainian cheesemaking heritage around the world, Oksana founded her country’s first professional academy and the national ProCheese Awards competition. Her work ranges from teaching, with over a thousand graduates to her name, to serving as a judge in leading international competitions such as the World Championship Cheese Contest 2026, constantly promoting dialogue and culture within the industry.

Tracey Colley

Founder of the Academy of Cheese and Chevalier du Mérite Agricole

More than twenty years at the heart of the cheese industry define the career of Tracey Colley, a long-standing judge at the World Cheese Awards. At the helm of the Academy of Cheese, which she founded, she promotes an internationally-minded educational model that brings together producers, affineurs and consumers, with the aim of training tomorrow’s professionals and preserving the great culture of the industry.

Emilia D’Albero

Meilleure Fromagère du Monde and Winner of the Mondial du Fromage

The first American to win gold at the Mondial du Fromage, Emilia D’Albero brings a decade of experience gained at New York’s most renowned cheese counters and through training for major names such as Eataly. Now Sales & Marketing Manager for Formaticum and a prominent face in leading international media, she combines consulting work with an ongoing mission to share the care and culture of cheese.

Owen Davies

Winner of Affineur of the Year 2024

With twenty years dedicated to selecting outstanding cheeses behind him, Owen Davies crowned his career by winning the title of Affineur of the Year 2024. His project, Ty Caws in Cardiff — a boutique and cheese bar recognised as among the best in Britain — was born to support independent British cheesemakers, promoting the traceability of raw materials and the art of ageing.

Marco Di Tommaso

Expert selector for Maison Buisson

Inspired by his dual Italian-French identity, Marco Di Tommaso works at the strategic heart of the famous Rungis market in Paris for Maison Buisson. His work blends a feel for Italian tradition with French culture, placing careful research into authentic products and constant dialogue with master cheesemakers at its core.

Lucie Dombre

Multiple award-winner at the Cincho Cheese Awards 2026

After a career in Human Resources, Lucie Dombre chose to run her family’s historic dairy together with her brothers, specialising in artisanal raw sheep’s milk production. Her approach is built on the region’s time-honoured methods and a concrete ecological footprint, bringing excellences such as Pérail and Rocaillou to gold medals at the most prestigious international competitions.

Virginie Dubois-Dhorne

Championne du Monde des Fromagers 2021

From studies in German literature to the pinnacle of international cheesemaking, her path has been an adventure driven by overwhelming passion. Crowned Championne du Monde des Fromagers in 2021 following her success at the Lyre d’Or, Virginie oversees ageing in the historic underground cellars of the citadel of Arras, dedicating herself to creating experiential events, advanced training and tasting journeys centred on cheese pairing.

Laurent Dubois

Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2000

With more than thirty years of work at the heart of Paris, his name is a benchmark for outstanding ageing and the safeguarding of artisanal heritage. Founder of the Fondation de la Biodiversité Fromagère, he sees cheese as a genuine cultural expression, personally committed to protecting biodiversity, small terroirs and pastoral traditions.

Corinne Fouchereau

Maître Fromager of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers

Passing on her passion and shaping the profession for future generations have always defined Corinne Fouchereau’s commitment. Formerly at the helm of the celebrated Fromagerie de Versailles and active for decades alongside historic Parisian institutions, she has played a pivotal role in transforming French cheese education, taking a direct part in creating and revising the official national qualifications for the cheesemonger profession.

Michel Fouchereau

Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2004

Born into the trade and the keeper of knowledge passed down through generations, he won the prestigious title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2004. He is the founder of the renowned d’Auteuil boutiques in Paris and Versailles, where he devotes his work to the art of ageing and to showcasing every type of cheese, elevating artisanal tradition to the finest expression of flavour.

Roberto Guermandi

Best Cheesemonger in Italy 2022

Driven by thirty years of passion for research and selection, he has brought his Bolognese shop to curate the cheese trolleys of some of the most important Michelin-starred restaurants. A judge at the World Cheese Awards and Italy’s representative at the Mondial du Fromage, he combines his work as a selector with high-end consultancy and teaching for ONAF and AIS.

Rachel Holding

Marketing Executive at the Academy of Cheese

From training at London’s historic Fortnum & Mason counters to hands-on experience in agriculture, Rachel’s path has been driven by a deep passion for artisanal production. Now Marketing Executive at the Academy of Cheese, she brings strategic expertise and content creation skills, guided by a mission to spread cheese culture and inspire a new community of enthusiasts.

Romain Le Gal

Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2023

Romain Le Gal is an agricultural engineer who converted to a passion for the dairy industry. He oversaw the selection and ageing of Mimolette for the France Frais group before winning the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2023. Now Head of Training and host of the podcast Lait’Change, he devotes his work to telling the stories, people and knowledge that make regional cheeses unique.

Hanna Lee

Cheesemonger Invitational Champion 2026 and Young Cheesemonger of the Year 2025

From a degree in Animal Science to winning the Cheesemonger Invitational 2026, Hanna Lee’s story combines hands-on dairy experience with direct contact with the public. With key experience in goat’s milk production and ageing at places such as Uplands Cheese, she now works at the Mouse Hole Cheese Shop, building a deep connection between cheesemakers and consumers through the authentic story of the raw material.

Daniel Iliev

Young Cheesemonger of the Year 2024

Starting his career at just 19, Daniel built solid experience running the counters of industry landmarks such as The Fine Cheese Co., La Fromagerie and Paxton & Whitfield. Now Head of Wholesale for Crouch’s Italian Deli and a teacher at the Academy of Cheese, he combines teaching and expert selection with a deep passion for fine artisanal charcuterie..

Lily Morris

Young Cheesemonger of the Year 2023

An irresistible attraction to the raw material marked the turning point in the life of the Welsh Lily Morris, crowned Young Cheesemonger of the Year 2023. Known on social media as The Petite Cheese, she focuses her storytelling on the excellence and biodiversity of British artisanal dairies, fascinated by milk as a starting point that she transforms into an endless palette of styles and flavours.

Vincent Philippe

Meilleur Fromager du Monde 2023 and Maison Bordier ambassador

Having worked through every role in the profession over more than twenty-five years, Vincent is a self-taught talent who went on to win the title of Meilleur Fromager du Monde 2023. Now ambassador and leading expert for the celebrated Maison Bordier, he devotes his skill to ageing, to showcasing traditionally-made butter, and to the scenic creation of buffets and signature compositions.

Marine Thiébault

Winner of the Trophée Philippe Olivier at the Coupe de France des Fromagers 2025

2020 marked a turning point for Marine Thiébault: after earning her crémier-fromager qualification, she quickly took the reins of the historic Androuet boutique in Paris’s 17th arrondissement. Winner of the Trophée Philippe Olivier at the Coupe de France des Fromagers at Sirha 2025, she expresses her strong calling through showcasing rare cheese gems and mastery in the scenic composition of platters.

Alexis Thiebaut

Founder of Le Paris d’Alexis and Food Content Creator

The heart and face of Le Paris d’Alexis, Alexis Thiebaut explores the routes of French and international gastronomy to showcase the flair of artisans and the memory of flavour. With an authentic, engaging voice attentive to quality, he restores centre stage to the stories of producers and culinary masters, making the high culture of food a passion accessible to everyone.

Matthieu Thuillier

Vice Meilleur Fromager du Monde 2025

After fifteen years in the nursing profession, he radically transformed his life to dedicate himself to people’s wellbeing through the culture of the table. Now a benchmark figure at Le Bois d’Amalthée in Brive-la-Gaillarde, Matthieu crowned this extraordinary professional rebirth by winning both the title of Vice-Champion of France and Vice Meilleur Fromager du Monde in 2025.

Perry Wakeman

Three-time UK Affineur of the Year and super judge at the World Cheese Awards

A pioneer and leading figure in British ageing, Perry Wakeman serves as Head of Cheese at Rennet & Rind. The first person ever to win the title of UK Affineur of the Year (a feat he then repeated for three editions), he ages the wheels of the best independent British cheesemakers in his own maturing cellars every day. A member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, he combines a focus on the UK’s historic recipes with a bold, experimental vision of the art of maturation.

Bartosz Wilczyński

Cheese expert, oenologist and international judge

A benchmark figure in Polish cheesemaking and winemaking, Bartosz has a solid track record as a judge in the world’s most accredited competitions, from the Mondial du Fromage to the Cincho Awards. An expert with the NA SERIO Foundation, he is one of the leading figures in Poland’s artisanal revival, committed to training producers, promoting raw-milk farmhouse cheeses, and telling the stories of regional excellence.

Emma Young

International consultant, author and “The Cheese Explorer”

With more than seventeen years of hands-on experience, she is one of the most eclectic and influential communicators and consultants on the global cheese scene. Known to the wider public as The Cheese Explorer and author of the book The Cheese Wheel, she combines teaching for names such as Mons Fromager Affineur with designing boutiques and ageing spaces around the world, as well as being a highly regarded judge in more than sixty international competitions.

Marco Zacchello

Best Cheesemonger in Italy 2024 and Partner at Formaggi Stevanato

Raised in the atmosphere of the family business and shaped through hands-on experience, he has turned his love of cheesemaking into a genuine mission to share that culture. Crowned Best Cheesemonger in Italy 2024 and finishing fifth overall at the Mondial du Fromage 2025, alongside running Formaggi Stevanato he maintains a strong media presence and role in industry events, standing out as a specialist teacher in the art of cutting and sensory pairings alongside organisations such as ONAF and FISAR.