AN AWARD-winning North Yorkshire cheese company has seen its best-selling product put on sale nationwide by Tesco.

Thirsk cheesemaker Shepherds Purse has come up with new pre-packs of its best-selling Yorkshire Blue for the launch, which includes new packaging and recipe cards, featuring watercress soup, developed by owner Judy Bell.

"Our cheeses are consistently the best-selling regional handmade cheeses in Tesco stores," said marketing manager Katie Bell. "Our Yorkshire Blue is real competition for imports such as Roquefort, St Agur and Dolcelatte.

"We believe customers want to buy British quality and we hope our price promotion will encourage more shoppers to try our cheese." Tesco has been selling the special 125gm packs for £1.69 for four weeks as a launch promotion.

Yorkshire Blue, a soft, blue-veined cheese made from 100pc cow's milk, has been developed from a traditional recipe and has won many international awards.