BIG cheeses the world over were celebrating success as the Nantwich International Cheese Show attracted record-breaking crowds.
The famous Cheese Pavilion had been expanded to 45,000sq ft to accommodate a record 2,000 entries, but organ-isers were still overwhelmed as enthusiasts packed in to sample the world's finest dairy produce.
The top championship class awards were spread further afield than in previous years, loosening the grip the South Cheshire region has had on the competition in the past.
The Supreme Champion Cheese Award, and with it the National Westminster Cup, went to Leicestershire creamery Tuxford and Tebbutt, which also scooped top prizes for best blue-veined cheese and best Stilton cheese.
Knutsford's Delamere Dairy shared reserve spot with Lancashire's Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses as judges decided they could not pick between the pair's single goats' milk cheese entries.
The Daresbury Cup for the champion farmhouse Cheshire cheese also went out of the region to Carron Lodge Ltd, although Whitchurch firm Belton Cheese did scoop the Joseph Heler Supreme Cheshire Cheese trophy.
After claiming the supreme championship prize last year, Belton was again pleased with its showing as it also claimed the National Westminster Trophy for best overall creamery.
Spokeswoman Kate Baumber said: 'The stall was really busy and the weather made the show fabulous.'
Fellow Whitchurch firm Windsor & Sons also kept up some of last year's award-winning momentum, picking up
the Ted Hassall Memorial trophy and the Les Lambert trophy for its Wensleydale and Cheshire cheeses.
Hatherton cheesemaker Joseph Heler Ltd enjoyed one of the busiest trade stalls at the show as it also picked up gold awards in the low fat cheese and Caerphilly sections.
Employee Jonathan Cope said: 'There were more trade buyers than ever at Tuesday's trade show.'
Another local firm, The Cheese Company Ltd, Reece's Creamery, from Hampton, Malpas, claimed a clean sweep of gold, silver and bronze in the crumbly Lancashire section, and also picked up rosettes in the single Cheshire and single Wensleydale categories.
Crewe's David Williams Cheese clinched three rosettes in the UK cheese with additives classes, winning gold in the hard savoury and soft sweet cheese sections and bronze in the hard sweet.
Nantwich dairy Raven Oak shared first in the speciality whole cheese category and also won the small producers' soft cheese section, with Reaseheath College winning bronze in the small producers' additives class.
