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A small Devon cheesemaker has officially been crowned as the best in the country.

Quicke’s, based in Newton St Cryres , won three golds at the prestigious Artisan Cheese Awards, further enhancing their reputation as the most distinguished cheesemaker in the UK.

The trio of golds came for its Extra Mature Clothbound Cheddar, Goat’s Milk Clothbound Cheese and its Oak Smoked Clothbound Cheddar.

Mary Quicke MBE , who is the 14th generation of the Quicke family on Home Farm, said: “From our hybrid cows to the microflora in our maturing rooms, everything at Home Farm is driven by the desire to make outstanding cheese, crafting greatness from our little patch of Devon.

“These awards mean a lot to us all and are a great way to benchmark the work that we do, so it fills me with pride to see truckles from every corner of the cheese store winning prizes.

“Artistry has always run through our veins at Quicke’s, pushing us to experiment with and refine our craft, making it especially pleasing to see Lady Prue, our recently launched mixed-milk cheese, receive a Bronze medal in its first year at the British Cheese Awards.

Who is Mary Quicke MBE? Mary Quicke is at the helm of a £4 million business making award-winning cheeses. Quicke’s Cheese is the largest British naturally matured traditional cheddar maker and Mary is the fourteenth generation on the farm, running the business based near Newton St Cyres since 1987. The cheese sells to key outlets in the UK, and over one third to export, mainly the USA and Australia. Ms Quicke has launched the Academy of Cheese, is a Dairy Sector Board Member of AHDB and a judge at the World Cheese Awards, Bath & West Show, British Cheese Awards and the American Cheese Society Awards.

“It takes many months, or more often years, of experimentation, hard work and reflection to craft a new cheese of this calibre and we really feel that all this love and care has paid off.”

It’s the latest in a number of awards won by the Devon cheesemaker in recent months.

The company won five awards at the British Cheese Awards and two awards from Taste of the West.

Full list of accolades

Artisan Cheese Awards

Gold – Extra Mature Clothbound Cheddar

Gold – Goat’s Milk Clothbound Cheese

Gold – Oak Smoked Clothbound Cheddar

British Cheese Awards

Silver – Double Devonshire Clothbound Cheese

Bronze – Goat’s Milk Clothbound Cheese

Bronze – Lady Prue

Bronze – Mature Clothbound Cheddar

Bronze – Vintage Clothbound Cheddar

Taste of the West

Gold – Extra Mature Clothbound Cheddar

Silver – Goat’s Milk Clothbound Cheese

Who doesn't love a cheese calendar?