A CHESHIRE-BASED dairy has won a prestigious industry award for one of its cheeses - knocking out competition from across the UK.

Delamere Dairy’s spreadable goat’s cheese was the cheese category winner at The Grocer New Product Awards, announced in a lunchtime ceremony in London, 

The cheese is made with milk from British family farms and ticked all the boxes with the judges.

The Knutsford dairy’s product was seen as ‘fresh and enticing’ with an eye-catching design to help it stand out on shelf, and a convenient consistency that worked just as well in cooking as spread on biscuits and could be used straight from the fridge.

Knutsford Guardian: The winning cheeseThe winning cheese (Image: Delamere Dairy)

Judges commented: “This fresh and creamy goat’s cheese has a natural acidity and a soft, spreadable texture.

“A mild and smooth flavour, with a delightfully pleasant aftertaste.”

The spread was praised as a user-friendly, everyday product with great versatility suitable for both baking and cooking.

Overall, a ‘very impressive piece of new product development that delivers on taste, functionality and sustainability’, said judges.

Ed Salt, MD at Delamere Dairy added: “We’re thrilled that what we know to be an excellent product has been recognised as such by the industry, especially when pitted against leading brands in the industry.

“It’s also testament to the wonderful products that goat’s milk can deliver.”

Delamere’s Spreadable Goat’s Cheese is available locally in Booths and from Ocado online.

Delamere Dairy is located in Knutsford and takes its name from Delamere Forest where the company began in 1985, founded by Liz and Roger Sutton.

The couple began by selling fresh goats' milk and soft cheese they made in their kitchen to local health food stores.

The family business grew and moved the goats and processing to Yew Tree Farm in Knutsford in 1992, where 30 staff still work at head office.

Following rapid expansion, processing was outsourced in 1992 and now uses state-of-the art production at farms across the country.

Over the years, the company has gone from strength to strength and has even won multiple awards for its products.