A PRIZE-WINNING cheese company has added another award to its ever growing list.

Shepherd's Purse Cheeses of Thirsk has won the national Great British Food Award at the NFU's farming excellence awards.

Judy Bell started making cheese on the family farm in 1987 and launched her first cheese on the market two years later.

She previously worked for an osteopath and became aware of a growing number of people suffering from allergies to conventional dairy products.

Sheep milk products were hard to find, and she started making her own sheep's milk cheese.

Since then she has developed an award-winning range of sheep's cheeses and latterly her first cow's milk product - the famous Yorkshire Blue - as well as buffalo milk cheese and organic products.

Innovation and attention to detail are central the company and in 2001 it won five gold medals.

This week the company announced it is to bring back Olde York, a favourite which was discontinued in 2001 due to the limited amount of available ewe's milk.

It is produced to a traditional York recipe, dating back to the early eighteenth century and uses a French method.

The process involves slicing thin layers of curd out of the vat and layering them into a mould with a mesh bottom to allow the whey to drain out naturally.

The method is said to ensure a soft, delicate texture which offers a fresh, crisp and creamy taste that cleanses the palate. It can be used for cooking or the cheeseboard.

At the awards ceremony Tim Bennett, NFU president, said: "Judy has shown the success that can come from spotting an opportunity and pursuing it with determination and flair to make a product that consumers love."

Ian Merton, director of fresh and convenience foods for Sainsbury's, presented Mrs Bell with a cheque for £1,000, a certificate and farmgate plaque.

"Sainsbury's is committed to supporting British farmers. The Sainsbury's Great British Food Award recognises excellence across a wide criteria and we congratulate Judy for reaching these high standards this year."

The runners-up in the category were William Chase of Tyrells Potato Chips in Herefordshire and Tom and Sue Forrester who use surplus milk from their dairy farm to produce their own butter and use the buttermilk by-product to bake scones and cakes, which they sell through farmers markets, food fairs and shows.