CHEESE-MAKERS from Yorkshire have proved themselves among the world's best.

Wensleydale Creamery, Shepherds Purse and the Swaledale Cheese Company received prizes in the World Cheese Awards for their artisan cheese-making.

All three cheese-makers are members of the Regional Food Group for Yorkshire, which is dedicated to raising the profile of the region's food and drink.

The awards, the biggest in the cheese-making calendar, are highly competitive, with British cheese- makers competing against big-name Continental rivals.

Top of the crop for Wensleydale, taking gold medals, were the special reserve Wensleydale, Cheshire traditional, Double Gloucester and Cheddar cherry bell peppers with sun-dried tomatoes.

Silver medals went to the Wensleydale with papaya and mango and their Cheshire, while bronze awards were given to their ewe's milk Wensleydale and Red Leicester.

Shepherds Purse took gold in the best British blue-veined cheese category for its Byland Blue, produced with Yorkshire cow's milk and in the mould- ripened category for its newest innovation, Sheperon, a revival of a traditional farmhouse recipe that gives a rich buttery mould-ripened cheese.

In the smoked Cheddar category, Shepherds Purse was awarded silver for its smoked Jersey Gold, made with Jersey cows' milk, while Katy's White lavender, a feta-style cheese marinated with the subtle taste of fresh lavender, and Basilano, a white ewe's milk cheese, marinated in a blend of Italian and English herbs, both achieved bronze awards in the ewe's milk with additives class.

The Swaledale Cheese Company won two gold medals for its traditional Swaledale and Swaledale goat's cheese.