Cheese firm scoops top honours

Staff at a Shropshire cheese firm were celebrating today after scooping a number of top titles at an international agricultural show.Belton Cheese, of Belton Farm, Whitchurch, won an array of awards at the Nantwich International Cheese show.

Shaun Johnson, sales manager, praised the team efforts of staff. "It had been a very successful show for us," he said.

"Credit must go to the cheesemakers back at the farm. The product has been so consistent this year. We have taken awards at the Yorkshire show, the Cheshire show, Bath and West, the Royal Welsh and again at the Nantwich show.

"The consistency this year has been excellent and that's down to the quality of the staff at the dairy.

"We source our milk from a 20-mile radius of Whitchurch, which is where the farm and creamery is. It has been a fantastic team effort from everybody."

Thousands of people were expected to flock to the international cheese show today.

Richard Paul, show chairman, said he was expecting about 30,000 people to attend.

"It will be great to welcome the public back today," he said.

"We missed them last year. Unfortunately it was very sad the field was just not fit to allow the public on last year.

"Today is the fun part of the two-day event. Yesterday was the trade day. We got the awards and we can celebrate today."