CHEESEMAKERS in North Yorkshire announced expansion plans, jobs and business growth yesterday.

The Wensleydale Creamery, in Hawes, will create seven jobs this year with the £750,000 expansion of its visitor centre.

In addition, Shepherds Purse Cheeses, based near Thirsk, has won a contract with British Airways to supply its Yorkshire Blue cheese on transatlantic flights.

The Wensleydale expansion, which has gained planning permission from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, has also received a £290,000 grant from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), through regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.

The number of jobs at the visitor centre, a combination of full and part-time, will increase by seven to 46 in the first year.

David Hartley, the creamery’s managing director, said: “This expansion is a major development for us which will lead to additional jobs and more money coming into the area with the centre able to handle a bigger influx of visitors.

“A large part of The Wensleydale Creamery’s ethos is supporting the rural economy.

“By increasing the retail space, we will be able to expand the range of local products stocked alongside our cheeses, including Real Yorkshire Wensleydale, which is the only Wensleydale cheese actually made in Wensleydale.”

Andy Tordoff, assistant director of Rural Renaissance and Visitor Economy at Yorkshire Forward, said: “The Wensleydale Creamery, in Hawes, is vital to the prosperity of the surrounding area through staff directly employed at the business, its network of local suppliers, and helping attract visitors.”

Construction on the extension is due to start later this month and be completed by September.

It means doubling the size of the centre’s cheese shop, and enlarging its cafe and souvenir shop.

The centre is already one of the largest tourist attractions in the Yorkshire Dales with more than 200,000 visitors a year. Shepherds Purse’s contract with British Airways means it will supply Yorkshire Blue cheese to passengers travelling on transatlantic flights to New York.

Katie Bell, marketing manager for Shepherds Purse Cheeses said: “We are delighted to be working with British Airways.”

The airline works in partnership with the restaurant Roast, in London Borough Market – which Shepherds Purse supplies – to design and develop its onboard menus for the London City service to JFK Airport, New York.