Hawes creamery a big cheese in taste awards (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Hawes creamery a big cheese in taste awards

10:50am Wednesday 8th September 2010 in Hawes news By Bethany Abbit, Reporter

A NORTH Yorkshire creamery is celebrating a cheesy victory after its produce was named as the best tasting speciality food in England.

Generations of cheese-making skills paid off for The Wensleydale Creamery, Hawes, as its Jervaulx Blue Cheese was declared the joint Best English Speciality and the Best Speciality from the North of England in the Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards 2010.

Jervaulx Blue had already secured the highest rating of three-star gold in the awards.

“These prestigious awards are outstanding testament to the dedication and expertise of our master cheese-makers, the hard work of our staff at Hawes and Kirby Malzeard, and the quality of the milk supplied by our network of Dales family farms,” said Wensleydale Creamery managing director David Hartley.

Named after Yorkshire’s famous Jervaulx Abbey, Jervaulx Blue blends the traditional blue cheese characteristics with a more creamy and sophisticated texture.

“For Jervaulx Blue to have made such an impact with leading culinary experts only months after it was launched is a fantastic achievement,” he said.

“It is also tribute to the great county of Yorkshire for an artisan product handcrafted in its Dales to win such recognition.”

Meanwhile, Kendal Jacksmiths’ date and molasses flapjack was a three-star winner in the Best Speciality Produce from the North of England category.

Managing director Liz Berners-Lee said: “It’s great news.

"We try and make the best flapjack in the world and we’re very proud of what we do here.

“We source all our ingredients, and our flapjack is made in small batches to get the best taste.

"It’s the care and attention that makes it special.”

More than 500 culinary delegates turned out at Fortnum and Mason, in London, for the Great Taste Awards presentation.