Jan Peter Aursnes

Meet Jan Peter Aursnes, who has a degree in economics, but now deals with cheese full-time in his own business. He has a basic course in traditional cheese-making from Sogn Jord- og Hagebruksskule, is a guest chef as often as he can and is also responsible for cheeses in Store Norske Lexikon. In recent years, has participated as a judge during the NM in farm cheese. Currently studying for Master of Cheese at the Academy of Cheese in England. Holds cheese courses and lectures and writes about cheese on the website Osteperler.no - Om oster av raw melk -, as well as in some other publications. He has also written the book Unlock your Future - The Key to a Fulfilling Life and lives as he preaches.

- What is it like to be a judge in the World Cheese Championship, one of the most important competitions for cheese in the world? - It is undoubtedly exciting, a mixture between fear and joy and not least humility towards the task. Very educational, I think, to get to know cheeses from all over the world and, not least, many interesting and knowledgeable judges. Several of them people I have only read about and follow on social media, yes some follow me too. It's an important event for everyone who takes part and is naturally excited about how their cheeses will be judged, so I'm sometimes terrified that I won't be good enough. But then I think I know a lot about cheese; not as much as some, but more than most, have tasted a great many cheeses, usually many times, as well as the fact that we are a team of three to four judges who work together, so it will go well. I have also taken part in judging cheeses during the last NM competitions, which is a very useful experience to take with me. For someone who is a free bird in the cheese world, is in the establishment phase and will have it as a livelihood, it is a great feather to have in the cap, which hopefully opens up other opportunities both here and there. In addition to judging, it is important to take advantage of the opportunity and build networks.

- What could be the value of the Cheese WC being held in Norway? - Firstly, it is great advertising for Norway as a cheese nation. We're probably not "top and top" either with ordinary consumers or specialists out there, so it's great to have the spotlight directed at us and all the great things that happen here. Furthermore, it creates a lot of commitment here at home, within the industry. Great motivation and I have the impression that everyone who makes cheese is and has been making cheese for the World Cheese Awards for a long time. The time horizon for that obviously depends on what kind of cheese you make.

- How can we be inspired to taste new Norwegian cheeses? - We have to be good at telling about all the good cheeses we have, and that they are available. Here, there are probably many forces that can come together to make it happen. Small-scale cheeses are not cheeses you can expect to find in all shops across the country, but locally you should be able to expect it, as well as in specialist shops. So I understand that it's a lot of work for the cheese makers to go to the Farmer's Market and other markets every weekend, so that's not what you'd expect, but it's nice to meet them every now and then. I myself try to contribute as best I can, and always include Norwegian cheeses in my courses. As a small apropos; In Great Britain, they have Neal's Yard, which has contributed significantly to an ever-so-small little cheese revolution over there, we should have a similar driving force here with us, which combines professional help for the cheese factories and gets the cheeses out to the people. I studied at the time in Manchester and was very tired of boring territorials when I went home. Now it is a completely different reality. Maybe we have something to learn there. Small-scale manufacturing is still a young industry here.

- What is your best cheese memory? - Then I probably have to go abroad and long before I really got hooked on cheese, to Tbilisi where I lived for a while and worked for the International Red Cross. The local cheese Sulguni, which if you hit it at the right time from the right cheesemaker, could be absolutely fantastic. Along with freshly baked, warm bread, kartolipuri, baked in wood-fired ovens and sold out of cellar windows pretty much everywhere in the city. All you had to do was put in two lari, and you got a loaf of bread in your hand. This together with a local and usually quite simple wine. Happiness.

- What is your best serving tip for cheese?
It's good bread and white wine, may well be a white wine with a little residual sweetness, not much, just a little. For me, the cheese always plays the main role.