One only had to follow one's nose, the trail leading unmistakably through the double doors to a room where more than 50 cheeses lay quietly suffusing the atmosphere with a rich, all-enveloping aroma.

There were hard cheeses, semi-hard, soft and flavoured ones, all brought up to as near as possible room temperature – at which, of course, all cheese should be served- and lit by natural light streaming in from overhead.

We were here to sort out – to use an appropriate metaphor – the sheep from the goats. Or the wheat from the chaff, or the men from the boys. To whittle down those cheeses for a final selection from which would be plucked the winner of this year's Tesco Cheese Challenge.

Now cheese-judging is a pleasurable activity, though it demands, shall we say, a certain stamina, a certain degree of dedication, an ability to sample more cheese in the space of a couple of hours than one might normally in a month without the palate becoming overwhelmed.

So what were we looking for? Well, something which would be not merely technically perfect but a cheese possessing plenty of flavour as well as that not always definable quality of distinctiveness.

Of all the facets of the great British food revolution the transformation of our cheese industry over the last 25 years must rate as the most spectacular.

Charles de Gaulle once asked how anyone could govern a nation that had 246 different kinds of cheese. Only 246? How about 1,200? For that, believe it or not, is the latest estimate for the number of individual cheeses these islands now produce. From being known for a mere handful – chiefly Cheddar, double Gloucester and Stilton – Britain has grown to become one of the great cheese-producing centres of Europe.

Although many of the most successful new-generation cheesemakers rightly regard themselves as craftsmen and cling to their artisanal ideals, there is no escaping one, stark, commercial reality: multiples such as Tesco now account for 90 per cent of the cheese sales in the UK.

We start the process. There are some striking early results: a Channel Island crème fraiche style cheese which would probably sit better with strawberries than Branston pickle, and a well-matured soft cheese which is already starting to sprawl ominously towards the door as though making a break for freedom. And that, of course, is the other point: the chosen cheese has to be a commercially viable one. It has to look attractive on the shelves, particularly to shoppers who would never normally dream of buying from a cheese specialist, though in addition to the promotion Tesco will give the product it will also spend money – as much as £25,000 in some instances – on technical improvements to help attain the necessary standards of consistency in both flavour and appearance.

We do the rounds. We move on to some fruity, mature cheddars – some more mature than others, one with a distinctive palate that is as good as a signpost to the nationally renowned creamery where it was made.

Then the flavoured cheeses, some merely attempts to disguise poor-quality processed cheese with the heat of chilli, some utter taste disasters. But there is one which we all go agree should go forward to the next round.

And a couple of weeks later, with the field narrowed down, it finally gets the judges' accolade: Dorset-made Ashley Chase Goat Cheddar with Cranberry has won the prestigious challenge and will be available in Tesco stores from October.

It's made at Litton Cheney, near Dorchester, and its selection comes as a real delight for cheesemakers Greg Parsons and Mike Pullin.

They thought they had done pretty well when they were summoned to a celebratory lunch with the other finalists. "We had a fantastic time," said Mike. "We got together with the other finalists before the results were announced. It was great to meet them and hear about all the hard work they had put into creating their entries."

"Things got even better when our cheese was announced as the winner of the flavoured category," said Greg.

"I was delighted, but I also realised that we were in with a chance of winning the whole competition – and it was a fantastic feeling to collect the winner's award."

The pair are now racking up production ready for the autumn promotion – and one which, according to Nigel White, will be a terrific shot in the arm for their business.

He says competitions like the Tesco challenge are highly regarded.

"They are incredibly good for staff morale, apart from anything else.

"There are guys are out there producing cheese five, sometimes seven days a week and to get an accolade like this from a panel of expert judges is a real fillip: it says a great deal about their product.

"Businesses cannot afford to stand still and if you talk to any of the smaller cheesemakers about where they go from here, they all say they need to get a listing with one of the major supermarkets.

"If you are not big enough to do more than two Tesco stores, then that's fine. If you want to do all of them, better still.

"But you do get a very good run for a year to give it a chance of working. It is a fabulous prize to win."

Read more about British cheese at: www.britishcheese.com