Last updated at 12:58, Friday, 07 December 2012

Cheese made in Aspatria is officially among the best in the world.

Martin Lomas

Vintage cheddar created by The Lake District Cheese Company collected two gold prizes at the World Cheese Awards. It fended off international opposition, with the awards described as “the largest and most diverse of its kind in the world”.

It is the latest in a string of accolades to be collected by staff from the Cumbrian creamery, with earlier success including

Guy Smith Memorial Trophy for Best Single Mature Cheddar at the Nantwich International Cheese Show and a Prince of Wales Award for Outstanding Quality at the Great Yorkshire Show for its Smoked Cheddar.

Lake District Creamery manager Martin Lomas said: “It’s an honour to be recognised at the World Cheese Awards. We take great pride in producing our cheese and it’s rewarding to see the brand recognised in this way.”

The Lake District brand has become one of the major success stories of the Cumbrian food world in recent years – with positive spin-offs for the county’s economy. It is now the country’s fourth-biggest cheddar name, worth an estimated at £65m.

Creamery owners First Milk is investing £10 million in its Aspatria site. Current investment at the factory is centred on its whey processing facility.

First published at 12:12, Friday, 07 December 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk