GOAT farmers in East Yorkshire have been celebrating their success in a prestigious farming competition.

Farming couple Angus and Kathleen Wielkopolski were named North-East farming business of the year in the National Farmers' Union Farming Excellence Awards.

The couple run St Helen's Farm, at Seaton Ross, near York, and supply a range of goat dairy products to major supermarkets, including milk, bio-yoghurts, cheese, cream, and butter.

Angus said: "We didn't expect the business to grow at the rate it did, but we seem to have identified the right product at the right time."

The couple started the business on a five-acre smallholding near Howden, in East Yorkshire, and 19 years on farm 310 acres, employing 35 people and milking 2,500 goats.

Now with more than 10,000 customers who regularly buy the products the couple have received special praise for their work in identifying and developing markets for the products.

They have also been praised for increasing publicity for the area and for their commitment to developing the food chain.

Angus said: "At the heart of our future plans is the need to remain close to our customers and spread the word about the benefits of consuming good, wholesome goats' milk products."

Updated: 10:41 Thursday, February 27, 2003