CHEESE loving Wallace and Gromit may be the heroes of their first feature film, out on general release today, but the dynamic duo saved the day for a Yorkshire Dales business more than a decade ago.

The writing was on the wall for Wensleydale Creamery when the then-owner Dairy Crest shut down the Hawes operation back in 1992 and switched cheese production to Lancashire.

Former creamery managers succeeded in negotiating a buy-out deal and resumed production for Christmas that year.

But it was the arrival of Wensleydale cheese lovers Wallace and Gromit on TV screens that proved a turning point for the struggling business.

Managing director David Hartley recalled: "We gained the licensing rights to Wallace and Gromit in 1996, in the early days of our management buy-out.

"I can credit much of the creamery's present profile and awareness from the initial deal with Aardman (makes of Wallace and Gromit).

"In many respects, it's a perfect partnership. We have more in common than you might think both companies deal with artisanship and an exceptional attention to detail and quite a quirky attitude to business."

Today, Wensleydale Creamery is a thriving business with a 200-strong workforce and a turnover that has quadrupled from £4.9 million to more than £16m.

Bosses are hoping that this week's release of the first-ever Wallace and Gromit feature film, Curse of the Were-Rabbit, will continue to boost the business.

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