CHEESE-makers in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire have given their seal of approval to a brand new cheese and dairy produce competition at the show.

Event organiser, the Midlands-based Three Counties Agricultural Society - which advocates the promotion of all local and regional food and drink - canvassed dairy producers in the area to gauge interest for the new venture.

It met with an encouraging response, resulting in a competition with 23 classes for cheese, butter, cream, milk, yoghurt, dairy ice-cream and packaging.

There's even a challenge to cheese makers to produce a cheese designed to tickle the taste-buds of junior connoisseurs. It can be made from the milk of any animal, and will be subject to the scrutiny of a pint-sized judging panel.

Not surprisingly, the new competition has attracted the attention of a high profile adult judging panel, that includes Juliet Harbutt of Burford, Oxfordshire. Juliet runs both the British Cheese Awards and the Great British Cheese Festival in Cheltenham, and is one of the world's leading cheese experts.

She is joined by Monmouthshire Show secretary and dairy produce authority Kay Spencer, Chris Ashby - an experienced cheese judge who runs her own consultancy business offering training to the dairy industry - Eurwen Richards, who has judged all over the world and Jeremy Bowen, sales director of Paxton & Whitfield, Gloucestershire.

"British farmers produce around 68 million pints of fresh milk every day, much of which is turned into delicious dairy produce," said show press officer Sharon Gilbert.

"Competitors are being invited for all types of cheese, as well as butter, cream, milk, yoghurt and dairy ice-cream. The new cheese and dairy marquee certainly looks set to be a tasty and aromatic addition to this year's show."

The competition offers prize money in all classes, and the highest placed Gloucester cheeses will receive a rosette and prize money donated by the Gloucester Cattle Society.