Val Bines

Current Roles:

• Cheese Technologist/Consultant

Email:

• VBines@aol.com

Academic Qualifications

• National Diploma in Dairying

Interests

• Cheesemaking
• Buttermaking

Background:

Val has over 50 years' experience in cheese and butter making. She began her career after obtaining her National Diploma in Dairying in 1961. She taught cheese, buttermaking and microbiology at the Durham School of Agriculture (Houghall) and subsequently at the Cheshire School of Agriculture (Reaseheath).

In 1967 she joined the staff of the Experimental Dairy at the National Institute for Research in Dairying working mainly on Cheddar but also Mozzarella, Cottage cheese and Feta. In 1990 she joined the R&D department of Milk Marketing Board (MMB) as a cheese technologist. In 1994 the MMB was disbanded and Val continued to work for the newly formed Milk Marque (MM) as a cheese consultant until 1998. She joined the University of Reading in 1998 as a technologist in the Food Processing Centre. In 2000 Val joined Quickes Traditional Ltd as New Product Development Manager.

Since 1998 Val has continued to develop her consultancy activity as a cheese technologist in the UK and abroad. She also continues to be active as a lecturer. As well as her own consultancy lecturing, she, along with a colleague from MM, have, since 1998 run short cheesemaking courses at the Cheshire College of Agriculture (Reaseheath).

In 2006 Val received the Dairy Industries Award for exceptional contribution to the cheese industry.