THE success of this year’s cheese festival is expected to grow after showcasing the growing number of food and drink producers in the Dales, the national park has announced.

The Courtyard Dairy shop, near Settle, said it was selling cheese made by four local producers - up from none a few years ago.

In the latest Voices From The Dales episode, ‘Cheese Present’– out now on the Yorkshire Dales National Park podcast apps – Courtyard Dairy boss Andy Swinscoe said his business was ‘part of a movement’.

Dozens of events were put on during the Cheese Festival long weekend in October with more than 20 businesses participating in it and the Dales Countryside Museum running butter making demonstrations and sharing dairying dialect.

Mr Swinscoe, who has been running Courtyard Dairy since 2012, said: “When we opened our shop we were about 50 per cent French in range and about 30 per cent from the south of England.

“What we’ve seen over the past ten years is a real switch.

“When we opened there wasn’t a raw, unpasteurised cheese maker within 40 miles. Now there are four, which is fabulous. If we could double it in the next five years, I’d be really happy.

“Our range has changed to have a more of a northern focus and more of a Yorkshire focus because the quality and availability of local farmhouse cheese has improved.

“We wouldn’t take credit for that but there’s no doubt we are part of a movement – a catalyst for farmers looking to go down that route.

“The Cheese Festival is a great way of showcasing what the region has. The future of the Dales relies on us creating produce that is unique to us. We have some fabulous hay meadows up here and we should capture that in the flavours of the cheese.”

Helen Dalton, part of the national park authority’s tourism support team which promotes the cheese festival, said: “We had 25 businesses offer to take part in the festival.

“The aim wasn’t to create a lot of work for them, as we are aware how busy they all are, but to promote the amazing products, recipes, menus and food experiences that they have to offer.

“If you run a business which would like to be involved, please contact us directly as we really want the festival to stand out in people’s diaries.”

Voices From The Dales is on the national park’s podcast apps and at https://www.dalescountrysidemuseum.org.uk