Chris George's food and drink odyssey began with a love for cheese when he started working for Neal’s Yard Dairy (NYD) in 1995. His roles included retail, cheese maturation, wholesale and export. In 2004 Chris established NYD’s tastings and education programme which he ran until he left NYD in 2011.
Since then he has earned his Advanced Certificate in Wines and Spirits with the WSET and Concise Certificate in Brewing Technology from The Siebel Institute, Chicago. Based in New York from 2011 until 2016, he learned to brew beer, worked for craft beer company Beer Table in Manhattan’s Grand Central Station, and established and managed the cheese program for Mekelburg’s, a high end grocery and craft beer bar in Brooklyn, New York. He has taught for a variety of institutions including Murray's Cheese, New York, The San Francisco Cheese School, California and The School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire and was also a contributing writer for The Oxford Companion to Cheese.
On his return to London he worked with Mons Cheesemongers from 2016 until 2020 and has since worked with the Trethowan Brothers, producers of two award winning cheeses, Pitchfork Cheddar & Gorwydd Caerphilly. In 2019, pursuing his passion for cider, Chris established his own cider business, Cork & Crown.
Besides running his own business Chris also hosts corporate events and public tastings discussing topics including the science, history and culture of cheese, beer, cider & wine (amongst other things!)