David and Robyn Heap, from Crow Hill End Farm in Hubberton, Sowerby Bridge, will welcome Princess Anne next month.

The couple, who started making Calderdale Crumbly and Calderdale Creamy to survive in farming, said they are thrilled to have been chosen.

"I didn't believe it at first," said Robyn. "I was shocked when we found out."

"You'd expect her to be going to some bigger firm."

David said: "We must be doing something right."

The couple are working on making a bilberry cheese – a type never created before – to mark the royal visit.

David and Robyn are also celebrating beating firms from across the county to win a top award for their cheese.

They were presented with the Dalesman food and drink producer of the year award.

The couple started making cheese last year after David attended a cheese-making course in Cheshire.

They used to sell milk but said the price they were receiving for it was low and branched out into cheese-making to stay in the dairy sector.

They created the cheese using a recipe found hidden in their farmhouse which dates back over 250 years.

Every stage of the cheese-making process happens right on the farm, from getting the milk for the cheese from their cows to packaging it.

"We wouldn't have been able to survive in farming if we hadn't diversified," said Robyn.

The business has gone from strength to strength. Their cheese has been given territorial status – making it officially a Calderdale cheese – and they are giving schoolchildren tours around their factory.

Robyn has also helped found the Calderdale Farmers' Co-operative, aimed at boosting the sale of locally-produced goods and cut down on food miles.