And it was a hat trick of success for Dewlay which also won Best Blue Cheese for its Garstang Blue, as well as the Dairy Producer of the Year award.

Sales and marketing manager, Ian Coggin said: "It is unprecedented; no-one has won the Producer of the Year Award more than once. We first won it back in 2005 so to win it again is such a surprise, we are just so honoured.

Dewlay's operation manager Nick Kenyon collected the awards.
He said: "None of this would have been possible without the great leadership of our managing director and mine and Richard's dad, Neil Kenyon. But everyone at Dewlay has worked so hard for this, so for our staff it is well deserved and a testament to our hard work."

First making Garstang Blue back in 2003, the success of the Lancashire blue cheese is in part due to the support of regional customers, with the first supermarket to sell Garstang Blue being Booths. Phil Godwin, cheese buyer at Booths, agreed to take on the cheese even before it was produced.

Regional chefs also cry testament to the Garstang Blue. Michelin star chef Nigel Haworth from Northcote Manor is a firm believer of using locally produced foods with Garstang Blue featured in his restaurants across the region.

n A PORK producer who sells sausages, bacon and joints at Lancaster's charter market has won a prestigious award.

Foragers, who rear free-range pigs at Hillside Farm off the Heysham bypass, and also have a shop in Market Street, Carnforth, scooped the Best Pork award at the North West Fine Food Awards.

Owner Chris Harker said: "It's only 18 months since we got our first pigs and our shop only opened last April so this really is brilliant."