AMERICANS cannot get enough of Wallace and Gromit's favourite cheese.

The Wensleydale Creamery, in North Yorkshire, is preparing for an order from a US grocery firm that has 165 stores.

Dairy bosses from Hawes, in Wensleydale, are also in talks with two other major retailers.

The interest follows a trip by managing director David Hartley and sales director Phil Jones to last month's San Francisco Fancy Food Fair.

Mr Jones said: "The US success of Wallace and Gromit's latest film, the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, has helped immensely to raise our profile across the Atlantic. But when it comes to the crunch, the buyers have to like the product.

"There are lots of eccentric British tastes that just don't translate to American palates.

"But it looks like Wensleydale could prove just as popular Stateside as it is in the Dales."

The store has outlets across California, New Mexico and North Carolina.

The order is expected to be for the standard Wensleydale, plus the firm's Wensleydale and Cranberry.

The cheese will take about six weeks to reach the US by boat.

Exports account for about seven per cent of the dairy's £16m turnover.

The firm is also preparing for a rush this week with the UK release of the DVD of the Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

To coincide with the launch, the creamery has introduced limited edition character cheeses shaped as the heads of Wallace, Gromit and Hutch the Rabbit.

Mr Jones said: "What we call 'the Wallace effect' has really given the creamery a boost. It's tremendous to continue to have the thumbs up from everyone's favourite dynamic duo."