A Norfolk goat farmer and cheese-maker is celebrating a national accolade after winning the vegetarian category at the Artisan Cheese Awards in Melton Mowbray.
Sam Steggles of Fielding Cottage at Honingham, won the award with his Norfolk Mardler goats' cheese.
He said: 'We won Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards a couple of years ago (for the farm's brie-style Wensum White goats' cheese). This is up there with that because we were up against all the other cheese-makers in the country, so to come out on top with Norfolk Mardler is brilliant.'
Mr Steggles said all the farm's cheeses are made using a vegetarian substitute for rennet – replacing the traditionally-used cheese-making enzyme produced in the stomachs of ruminant animals – in order to access the vegetarian market.
'When you go to a restaurant and look over the menu, you'll see a lot of the vegetarian dishes have got goats cheese in them, so it is a good market to be in,' he said.
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