A YORKSHIRE cheese supplier forced to halt production after a major flood disaster is now back in business.

The Swaledale Cheese Company, based in Richmond, had to bring a temporary halt to its cheese-making in December last year when a pipe in the water system burst, destroying hundreds of kilos of cheese and causing substantial structural damage to the building.

Mandy Reed, who set up the family business 21 years ago with her now late husband, David, said she had to throw away all existing cheese and start again from scratch.

"All our cheeses are made by hand and each variety needs carefully controlled temperatures, humidity levels and maturation times of around two months," she said. "This process cannot be rushed, so there is an unavoidable time delay between making the cheese and having it ready to eat."

Last year, the Swaledale Cheese Company made a £250K investment, enabling it to double its production facilities. But Mrs Reed explained the firm's 14 cheese varieties are still handmade using traditional methods, from sourcing milk at local farms to hand waxing the individual cheeses.

Since December Mrs Reed, with the help of her two children Louise and Sam, has worked around the clock to get ready to release their first cheeses to local shops and farmers' markets. "We want to thank all our customers and suppliers for their patience and good wishes during this difficult period," she said.

For more details about Swaledale Cheese, and for information about online ordering, call 01748 824932 or email sales@swaledalecheese.co.uk.