THE story of Hawes Creamery is a real rags to riches tale.

Less than ten years ago it was shut down when owners Dairy Crest made the decision to end production there as part of its rationalisation plan.

The news horrified not only the local people but the whole country as waves of protest letters and petitions flooded in from supporters keen to add their weight to the fight to keep the Creamery open.

But a group of loyal and dedicated people was determined that Yorkshire's most famous cheese would not disappear and a rescue plan was drawn up to save the creamery.

It was that hard work which saw Hawes Creamery shake of the dust seven months later and re-open to once again make the world-renowned cheese.

And how the Creamery has gone from strength to strength.

In November 1992, when the buyout was signed and sealed, there were 11 people employed at the site - today that number is 175 and Hawes Wensleydale is more famous than it ever was.

Indeed, such has been the rise of Hawes Creamery, that last year it bought another cheese-making company to fulfil demand for hand-crafted cheese.

The Creamery purchased Fountains Dairy Products, at Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, where traditional cheese making is also carried out.

The attention to tradition and detail has helped Hawes Creamery to become such a household name.

The finished product now makes its way from North Yorkshire to destinations all over the world, with the United States the main country of export.

While tradition may be the key to success, the company does not stand still or rest on its laurels.

New cheeses regularly make their way to the supermarket shelves, including Wensleydale and cranberries, Blue Wensleydale, Wensleydale with apricots and smoked Wensleydale.

Alice Amsden, technical director at Hawes Creamery, believes this innovation has helped the company along the road to success.

"There is a real enthusiasm for both the business and the area as well as a drive to realise new ideas," said Alice.

"We have 35 different cheeses and the Wensleydale with cranberries was quite an innovation when it was launched four years ago.

"Everyone employed at Hawes Creamery lives within a 20-mile radius of the site so there is a real family atmosphere and generations of cheese makers have worked here."

Hawes Creamery really is at the heart of the community - all the milk used in the making of the cheese is supplied by 50 Upper Wensleydale farms, making it the only Wensleydale cheese on the market made from Wensleydale milk.

And each year around 16,000 tonnes of cheese are produced by Hawes Creamery, using traditional methods.

Real Wensleydale graces the shelves of Harrods, Fortnum & Mason's, as well as supermarkets and delicatessens around the country.

Hawes Wensleydale has been given a modern twist thanks to the patronage of two unlikely characters - namely Wallace & Gromit.

The animated man and his dog, created by Nick Park, helped to put the cheese on the map, thanks to Wallace's passion for the creamy cheese in an Oscar-winning film back in 1996.

"Wallace & Gromit definitely had an impact on our sales - we obviously had no idea that Wensleydale would feature in the film but it has really helped to publicise the cheese and they are now featured on some of our labels," added Alice.

"In fact, six to eight of the staff employed at the Creamery solely concentrate on making Wallace & Gromit cheese, such is demand for the product."

The business of making cheese at Hawes Creamery is obviously a growing success.

So is the Creamery's visitor centre, which opened in 1994 and now attracts around 125,000 visitors every year.

The viewing gallery enables visitors to watch the skilled cheese makers at work and the museum provides the chance to go back in time and see cheese making methods of old, as well as life in the Dales.

But many visitors to Hawes Creamery head there for one reason - to visit the cheese shop and sample the different Wensleydale cheeses on offer before deciding which ones to plump for.

"Around 40 per cent of visitors to the centre are repeat visitors and many do come to use the cheese shop and eat in the restaurant which features dishes made using Wensleydale cheese," said Alice.