Cheese hamper fans may be interested to hear the first phase of an £800,000 expansion to a cheese visitor centre has opened.

The Wensleydale Creamery in North Yorkshire - which attracts around 200,000 individuals a year - has had a revamp and now has a specialist store, coffee shop and deli, the Northern Echo reports.

Managing director at the creamery David Hartley said it is only the first phase of the organisation's expansion plans and there is more to come in the autumn.

The coffee shop's previous capacity held ten customers but since the make-over there is now room for 72 and the specialist shop has tripled in size.

Yorkshire Forward regional development agency backed the expansion with a grant from the Rural Development Programme for England worth 30 per cent.

It was recently announced cheese hamper fans will get the chance to talk to former Coronation Street star Sean Wilson at the upcoming Fork Fest.

The actor, who creates his own ranges of cheese at the Saddleworth Cheese Company, will be on hand to offer advice to guests.