Interview: French cheesemonger on what it takes to become the best in the world
Vincent Philippe describes the effort that it took him to achieve the title of World's Best Cheesemonger, some of his favourite cheeses and France's biggest strengths involving cheese
Mr Philippe was the World's Best Cheesemonger but the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France eludes himBenjamin Dubuis
France now has two world champions named Vincent Philippe, both born in January 1978, nine days apart.
One is a longstanding motor-racing rider, 10-times Endurance World Championship and Bol d’Or driver – the 24-hour endurance race for motorcycles.
The champion we interviewed, however, is from a completely different field. The World’s Best Cheesemonger, also named Vincent Philippe, was born in Trémuson (Côtes-d’Armor) and works for Maison Bordier, an artisan butter maker and cheese ripener with six establishments.
The title is one of Mr Philippe’s greatest achievements, he told The Connexion.
Previously, he has won the second prize Lyre d’Argent at Paris’s Salon du fromage in 2018, French champion in 2021, and has reached two finals of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France.
The latter is a French competition held every three or four years to recognise people who are among the most skilled in different trades.
When you read the list of the nine exams he took and learn about the conditions under which he had to perform, his achievement is all the more impressive.
The test included a multiple-choice questionnaire, a blindfolded taste test of four AOP cheeses, two precision-cutting tests, an oral test, the planning of a cheeseboard comprised of five cheeses, another of six on a single-themed cheese, the making of a cold cheese preparation and the creation of a cheeseboard on the theme of ‘head in the stars’.
All this on a single day. “It is like running a marathon in 35 degree heat,” he said.
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At the world championshipVincent Philippe
He was coached for his ‘marathon’ by Solène Beyssac, in charge of Maison Bordier’s Saint-Malo shop, and Aurore Paillusson, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) finalist and a crémière fromagère at Le Trou de Souris cheese shop in Besançon.
We spoke to him about the reasons why a cheesemonger would take on the toughest exams in his industry, the quality of cheese in the United States and United Kingdom, and the very last exam, the ‘Everest’ for cheesemongers, that remains to be won.
You were crowned the World’s Best Cheesemonger 2023. Have you come back down from cloud nine?
It was a rather special moment for me because it was my sixth competition in less than six years. I have prepared each in a different context.
For this one, I had a particular health problem that I have not talked about.
I took a four-month break after the world title to recover.
In a sense, I have never celebrated it for myself. But I am currently experiencing it through the eyes of people I meet and through meetings and talks. I knew that the second I had chosen to commit to the competition, I would perform at 100%.
That is how I experienced it.
I am very happy to be world champion, and to put on the jacket with the coloured collar. Taking such a test is an adventure that I would recommend to many of my colleagues. It is a lesson in humility.
When I placed the telescope as the final piece on the cheeseboard, I chatted to it and said: “Tonight, we are going for the stars”. I was calm.
What makes a cheesemaker want to get into the world of competing? Would you say it is more for the challenge, or to gain the recognition of your peers?
Both. The first three competitions helped me estimate my worth in the profession. I am completely self-taught and have seen all sides of the business.
His world-title-winning cheese platterBenjamin Dubuis
I started as a sales rep, then graduated to production assistant and other roles at the Maison Bordier, which is a school of excellence renowned for its butters, which makes products for a high-end clientele.
In 2018, I focused on cheese and wanted to get into all its details and test myself.
My first competition was the Lyre d’Or at the Salon du Fromage. I finished second.
The catalyst was that while Maison Bordier was especially respected for its butter, its employees are nonetheless not just beurriers but crémiers [referring to specialists in dairy products in general].
From there on, my job was to showcase the abilities of crémiers-fromagers.
I then competed for the MOF to get a sense of the standard expected from candidates. Being selected as one of the finalists made me realise that I was close to achieving what they were looking for.
Could you explain the marathon analogy in a bit more depth?
I would say that the world championship is a compilation of the Lyre d’Or, the French championship and the MOF.
You take nine equally intense and fast exams on a single day, each of which counts for the same number of points.
I knew my strengths – improvisation – and my weaknesses – precision-cutting. On the cheeseboard exam, for example, I improvised everything.
For the test you know the materials you can bring – your accompaniments, condiments, plates, knives, and utensils. What you do not know is any of the cheeses.
For the cheeseboard, I knew there were five cheeses to line up, but I did not know which ones. When you find that out, you have to pick up the right combination of flowers, herbs and spices. This is where the improvisation kicks in.
Solène had prepared 500 questions on all things cheese-related for the questionnaire exam. You have to know all the cheeses in the world. I studied cheeses that I will probably never taste in my life.
You are the 2023 World’s Best Cheesemonger, but you do not have the title Meilleur Ouvrier de France. Why is that?
Mr Philippe works for Maison BourdierPauline Giret, Maison Bordier
The world championship has no links with the Meilleur Ouvrier de France. The 16 pre-selected participants are all winners of nationwide cheesemonger championships. Sam Rollins, for instance, was the West coast United States’ cheesemonger winner [Mr Philippe won the Coupe de France des fromagers at a trade fair in Lyon, in 2021].
Is the Meilleur Ouvrier de France even more prestigious than winning the title of World’s Best Cheesemonger?
The Meilleur Ouvrier de France is the ‘Everest’ of my profession. My first attempt was like falling at base camp. The second try, where I reached the final, was like giving up halfway to the top.
Yes, the Meilleur Ouvrier de France is the Holy Grail. It is the collar, the blue-white-red coloured collar.
Today, I have a collar with the colours of the world champion. The public perceives it as above the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, which bothers me.
The world championship has very high standards, but the Meilleur Ouvrier de France is the pinnacle of excellence.
What makes the savoir-faire of French cheesemongers so special?
There are two sides to this savoir-faire, firstly that of the cheesemaker and then that of the cheesemonger.
Over the last 15 years, we have become increasingly proud to say that we are part of the gastronomic scene.
We are capable of selecting good products from good producers, managing and preserving them, as well as keeping them for optimal consumption periods catering for different customer profiles.
We are now confident saying ‘look at the cheeses we selected, the settings, and the preparation required to build tasting menus and cheese boards.’
You beat Sam Rollins (US) and Briton Nick Bayne. Is it still an asset to be French in a cheese contest?
I think being French remains a strength.
I was proud to be able to show that France can win.
But having good products in a country and having good crémiers-fromagers is something different.
Cheese cutting was his weakest skill at the competitionPaulin Giret
As a Frenchman, and as jingoistic as the French can be, I would be the first to defend the diversity of European cheeses.
Our diversity is extraordinary, from Italy, Spain, Greece, Switzerland to Portugal.
Among my favourite cheeses, I would rank superb artisanal cheddars, for example. Great Britain has the land, the livestock (cows, sheep and goats) and people with the knack for superb products. Montgomery cheddar is one of my favourite cheeses.
In the United States farmers are called cowboys. They have all the potential of the land and soil where they used to farm cow breeds, but now why can’t they make products as good as ours?
There has been a certain amount of protectionism, which has meant that some American producers have done it themselves.
Some friends tell me that certain products, especially those made from raw milk, are starting to look very, very, very good.
Savoir-faire is one of France’s best exports, but our history is our main advantage. Would you agree?
Our history, our protected appellations (AOC, AOP, IGP etc), our ability to stand firm against consumer excess.
It is up to us to maintain our savoir-faire, so that we can continue to craft products one way and not another.
There is no point in constantly changing to fit in with consumer trends.
This is a current debate within the industry. I hear it. Every country with a terroir, animals, and knowledge of what makes good products will be credible. Look at wine for example.
You now give talks and do school tours. Would you consider coaching as well?
Improvisation was his greatest strengthBenjamin Dubuis
Being a coach and being a candidate are two different things. Taking part in a competition as a candidate, I know where I am going, where my soul and my time goes and what my mission is.
When you coach someone, you get inside that person’s head. And for that you have to prepare a competition for yourself first. You cannot have the coach as a candidate. I am not sure that I would make a good coach.
Are you already looking forward to the next contest? Do you still keep an eye on the Meilleur Ouvrier de France?
Yes but as I get older I take my wellbeing more seriously, and this affects how I prepare for the next contest.
If I do have another bash at it, it will be the last time. Why? Because the energy you use has a significant impact on your health, and this all needs to be taken into consideration.
