A DAIRY is celebrating after impressing the industry’s big cheeses at a national awards ceremony.

Parlour Made Artisan Cheese scooped a bronze award in the new cheese category at the British Cheese Awards with its latest creation Mordon Isle, a medium soft continental style cheese.

Carol Peacock who runs the dairy at her family dairy farm in Mordon, near Sedgefield, is thrilled the cheese was singled out from almost 1,000 entries from the 172 cheese makers that entered the contest.

She said: “We introduced Mordon Isle last year and received some wonderful feedback from customers. It is brilliant to have won an award, which is widely regarded as a mark of excellence. To know our cheese impressed the judges, many of whom are cheese experts, is a wonderful feeling.”

It is not the first time Parlour Made has received awards for its growing range of cheeses, made using milk from the farm’s own dairy herd.

Mordon Blue won a bronze award in the same contest in 2012 and also scooped two gold stars at the Great British Taste Awards in 2013.