Llanboidy Cheesemakers from Whitland has beaten hundreds of entrants to scoop 'Best Welsh Cheese' at the British Cheese Awards 2002 - a contest sponsored by Waitrose to find the best cheeses in the land.

Over 70 of the UK's most experienced cheese judges gathered at the awards in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, to debate and discuss the merits of over 750 cheese entries, judging their texture, aroma, character and, most importantly, taste!

Winner in the Best Welsh Cheese category was Cilowen Organic from Llanboidy Cheese Makers: a small drum shaped truckle with hard compact texture that seems almost to melt in the mouth, similar in style to Cheddar but with its own distinct savoury character that hints of wild onions.

It also won the gold award in the Dyfed sectionm, while the company's Llangloffan Farmhouse picked up a bronze.

Graham Cassie, Waitrose cheese buyer and cheese awards judge, said: "It's a credit to the British cheese industry to taste so many fantastic cheeses. The quality of this year's entrants is, once again, extraordinarily high. On behalf of all of the judges, I would like to congratulate Llanboidy on their win."