MILK Link, the UK's leading farmer-owned dairy co-operative and largest cheese manufacturer, excelled at last week's Royal Bath and West Show, with its Taw Valley Creamery in North Tawton, collecting six awards for its cheeses, including first place in the prestigious Danisco Grand Prix category for its mature Cheddar cheese.

Taw Valley Creamery's award wins included one gold award for its organic Cheddar; the Gordon Perry Organic Cheese Perpetual Salver trophy for the best organic cheese; a silver prize for its Cheddar; and two further bronze awards.

Milk Link's other creameries also preformed well at the show, collecting 16 awards in total, including the Royal Bath and West Trophy for best in the butter class for Lockerbie Creamery's butter.

The results delighted the chief executive of Milk Link Neil Kennedy who said: 'The acknowledgement at the Royal Bath and West Show for the excellence of our Taw Valley Creamery makes me and everyone involved with Milk Link very proud. It also makes us determined to build on this success at future shows which are so important to the British dairy industry and, in particular, our farmers.'