Station 08
Find out more about jobs at the Co-op!
MILK COLLECTORS
Every morning, our drivers crisscross the Haute Maurienne region from Aussois to Bonneval sur Arc, collecting milk from 40 farms and carefully separating the cold evening milk from the warm morning milk.
At each stop on the route collectors record the number of liters of milk collected from each farmer, never forgetting to take milk samples. Upon arrival at the co-operative, they ensure that the milk from each farm passes health compliance tests before use. The truck is then emptied, washed and rinsed-mission accomplished!
It wasn’t until December 2017 that the cooperative acquired its very first tanker truck to reduce the arduousness of the work. Until then, all the milk was collected in 40-liter containers, making it much more physically demanding!
Témoignage audio de FLORIAN AYMARD
Exhibited item: Milk booklet / sampling
Kids visit
Joyful’s question:
How many litres of milk can our tanker trucks contain?
Answer : Each of our trucks collect between 7 000 to 9 000 litres of milk every morning, directly from the farmers, before driving it back to the co-operative.
CHEESEMAKER
The cheesemaker oversees all production stages. Every day, they work with living organisms (raw milk and natural rennet).
This raw material requires daily adaptation based on their own experience and perceptions. Their job also involves overseeing several tanks simultaneously.
Some skills can be learned from an ENIL course (National School of the Dairy Industry), but many are acquired on site with a mentor. Passing on expertise from elders to new generations remains a very important step in addition to formal training.
Témoignage audio de EWEN THEBAULT et JEREMY ROSSET
Exhibited items: Densimeter / Apron
Kids visit
Joyful’s question:
What’s the name of the tool used by cheesemakers, the one that looks like a funny guitar?
Answer: We say a « tranche-caillé », literally a curd-cutter, used to cut the coagulated milk into small pieces.
BUTTER MAKER
Their job is to turn cream into butter using a churn. During the process, they use 2 specific senses (seeing & hearing) to determine whether or not the desired texture has been reached.
The expertise and ‘feel’ come through practice!
Témoignage audio de PAULINE COLLONGE
CELLAR MAN
Their role is to « care for » the wheels of Beaufort throughout the aging process to ensure the proper development of the cheese’s flavors and aromas.
This experience is acquired solely through in person mentorship and long hours spent in the cellar, closely monitoring the ripening of each wheel.
Each wheel is flipped, salted, and rubbed 2 to 3 times a week, for a period of 5 to 12 months.
This profession requires a lot of handling, although the laboriousness of the work has been greatly reduced thanks to the automation of our cellar.
When it’s time to sort the mature Beaufort cheeses, the cellar man uses a cheese probe. This process is called « ringing the wheels », the goal being to check the quality and sort any wheel that may be defective.
Once ripening is complete, they prepare orders before shipping the wheels (whole or cut).
Témoignage audio de GAËTAN GOUIL
The probe is used to:
- Assess the resonance and sound of the wheel by tapping it with the handle to check that there is no air inside or any defects (e.g. cracks)
- Take a sample of cheese to carry out a visual and taste test
- Mark the wheel to give an indication of its ripeness.
Kids visit
Fortine’s question:
“Ringing the wheels”… what could that mean? Do wheels wear a bell?
Answer: the cellar man taps the wheel with their probe. They check to see if air has entered the cheese and created small bubbles or cracks. In short, their looking for manufacturing defects!
QUALITY MANAGER
The quality manager oversees and monitors the entire production process:
from milking and milk cooling at the farm to inspections during the manufacturing and maturing phases.
They record milk samples and perform all mandatory tests and analyses.
They validate and ensure compliance with hygiene and cleaning plans.
Administratively, they must meticulously record their work for health inspection reports.
Témoignage audio de CLÉMENT GOSSELIN
Kids visit
Fortine’s question:
What’s the quality manager’s role?
Answer: They ensure milk quality at the farm, in the workshop, in the vats, in the cellars, and on the cheese by carrying out tests and analyses.