Wensleydale factory in world top 10

The Wensleydale Creamery, at Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales, was the only UK cheese producer to be ranked in the list, compiled by members and editors of the United States travel website www.virtualtourist.com.

The website, which has more than one million members, produced the listing which included household names such as Camembert in France and Gruyere in Switzerland.

The Wensleydale Creamery which recently invested £800,000 expanding and improving its visitor centre, includes a cheese making viewing experience.

From the cheese-making viewing gallery, visitors can watch the cutting, stirring, pitching and salting unfold.

Real Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese is made using milk from more than 40 local farms where cows graze the limestone meadows rich in wild flowers, herbs and grasses.

Backed by the Yorkshire Post’s Uniquely Yorkshire campaign, which gathered support from readers across the globe, the company is seeking to afford it the same status as Champagne by securing Protected Designation of Origin Status from European Union.

David Hartley, The Wensleydale Creamery’s managing director, said: “To be acknowledged by such an influential website as being in the top 10 in the world is very flattering and testament to the investment made in the visitor centre and the hard work and professionalism of our staff.”