THE FOOD hall at the Okehampton Show will welcome back a familiar friend and cheese trader who has been involved since the food hall has opened.

Curworthy Cheese, based in Jacobstowe, will be trading its farmhouse speciality handmade cheese which began trading before the food hall was initiated at the show, by selling from a small stand on the main entrance.

It will now be continuing to offer the local produce inside the marquee in a range of sizes, from small truckles to large, family size portions. The farmhouse cheese is full-fat and semi-hard and made on an historic farm in the Devon countryside.

The milk produced by its herd of Friesian cows is stirred, scalded and matured daily into the cheese, sampled and sold every year at the show.

The show was a success for the cheese traders last year when a local wholesaler discovered their Hay Tour cheese — based on a Swiss style recipe — resulting in it doubling in sales.

Curworthy Cheese trader, Rachel Stephens, said: 'We really enjoy coming to the Okehampton Show, especially as it is a local one so we know lots of people trading and visiting. It is one of the best one-day shows we do, with a lovely atmosphere!'

Celebrating its 25 years of cheese making, the Devonshire company must be maturing nicely as much as its produce!