A CHEESE producer that began life as a small-scale cottage industry has won a regional contract with Tesco.

Shepherds Purse, based in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, has secured a direct to depot contract with the supermarket to supply regional stores with its Yorkshire Blue cheese.

The cheese, traditionally made by hand and containing locally sourced cow’s milk, will be available in more than 170 Tesco stores in the North.

It is the latest success for the firm, which began life in 1987 on the kitchen table of Judy Bell’s farmhouse, when the former osteopath had the idea of making cheese from sheeps’ milk.

It also supplies cheeses to Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, as well as airlines, pubs and the Wimbledon tennis championships.

Mrs Bell, the company’s chief executive, said: “We have a great working relationship with Tesco regionally, with better informationsharing that ensures we are more in tune with the needs of individual stores, making our job easier and more efficient.

“It is fantastic to see Tesco championing local producers, and the retailer has given us a great deal of support to get our cheeses onto its regional shelves.”

Sam Nundy, Tesco’s regional buyer, said: “Shepherds Purse is a fantastic company to work with and Yorkshire Blue tastes phenomenal.

“The cheese is selling very well in our North of England stores. Everyone is concerned about food miles now and we feel regional sourcing is one step in addressing this. It is great to see the enthusiasm of the small producers such as Shepherds Purse.”