THIRSK'S Shepherds Purse Cheeses has scooped double gold wins at the World Cheese Awards in London.

The cheesemaker impressed judges at the World Cheese Awards held at the International Food Exhibition, taking five honours across different categories, including the two gold awards.

Judged by 120 experts from around the world, the competition attracted entries from countries as far afield as Italy, South Africa, France, Croatia, Germany, Spain, Greece and the Canary Islands.

Competing against over 1,600 cheeses, Shepherds Purse picked up two gold, one silver and two bronze awards. The company took the gold award in the best British blue-veined cheese category for its Byland Blue, and in the mould ripened cheese category for its newest innovation, Sheperon - a revival of a traditional farmhouse recipe that gives a rich buttery mould-ripened cheese.

In the smoked Cheddar category, Shepherds Purse was awarded silver for its smoked Jersey Gold, while Katy's White Lavender, a feta-style cheese marinated with fresh lavender, and Basilano, a white ewe's milk cheese marinated in Italian and English herbs, achieved bronze awards in the ewes' milk with additives class.

Judy Bell, chief executive of Shepherds Purse, said she was delighted for the firm''s staff and building on the success at last year's awards.