AN AWARD-WINNING cheesemaker has grabbed a new opportunity by the horns and launched a Buffalo Blue cheese.

Shepherds Purse already produces two blue cheeses, Mrs Bell's Blue made from ewes' milk and Yorkshire Blue made from cows' milk from their farm-based business at Newsham, near Thirsk.

Now they are using buffalo milk supplied by Mr Paul Langthorne's herd of 130 water buffalo at Crawford Grange, Brompton, near Northallerton. "Buffalo milk is easy to work with and the end product is rich, creamy and moist," said Mrs Judy Bell, head of Shepherd's Purse.

"We hope this third blue cheese will cement our reputation for excellence in blue cheese-making."

The new Buffalo Blue, described as a creamy cheese, will be officially launched at the British Cheese Awards in Stow-in-the-Wolds in September where the company hope it will win an award.

Mr Langthorne originally invested in two water buffalo to help their young son, Andrew, who suffers from cystic fibrosis.

He could not drink cows milk and the usual alternatives of goats and sheep milk also failed to work.

Since then buffalo numbers have increased providing a valuable source of extra income to the farm which also boasts an award winning Holstein herd.