ISLE of Wight dairy farm Briddlesford Lodge is now a big cheese on the world stage.

Cheesemakers at the Wootton farm celebrated last Friday (November 2) when they scooped a prestigious gold medal for their cheddar at the World Cheese Awards in Norway.

A record breaking 3,500 cheeses from 6 continents were judged in the huge arena at the event in Bergen, by international teams of technical experts, buyers, retailers and food writers from 29 nations.

Judges worked in teams of three or four, identifying any cheeses worthy of a gold, silver or bronze award. They looked at the rind and body of the cheese, as well as its colour, texture, consistency and, above all, its taste.

Head cheesemaker, Debi Pidgeon, said, "This is a dream come true for me. I am lucky enough to work with probably the best milk in the world, from our cows here at Briddlesford.

"We have worked hard to create a recipe that turns quality milk into quality cheese. We have the most beautiful herd of award winning pedigree Guernsey cows, and I am thrilled that we have now been recognised as producing one of the best cheeses in the world. I think the gold medal should be dedicated to the cows. It’s all about them – and trying to sustain one of the Island’s most long established, and still surviving, dairy herds".