A Derby engineering firm is looking to profit from America's growing appetite for speciality cheese after forming a partnership with a producer in Vermont.

Machinery manufacturer MCE Engineering has entered into an agreement with the Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company, which will help it to market its products among the United States' ever-increasing number of cheese producers.

MCE Engineering recently supplied the company with an automated cheese pegmill, which breaks up curd during the cheese-making process and will allow the firm to increase its production, while enhancing the quality of its English-style cheddar.

It is the first transatlantic order ever received by the Derby company, which manufactures equipment for a wide spectrum of industries but has established itself as an expert in the design, manufacture and installation of food production machinery.

It already serves some of the biggest names in the food and confectionary industry, including Premier Foods, McVities, United Biscuits, Dairy Crest, KP Nuts and Thornton's, and is one the UK's leading specialist manufacturers of cheese processing equipment.

The company secured the Vermont order last year after the Americans contacted it through its website, having failed to find a suitable supplier on the other side of the Atlantic.

Peter Murray, director of MCE Engineering, which is based in Parcel Terrace, said: "There has been a big increase in the demand for independently produced cheeses over in the States and the company needed the curd mill to keep up with demand.

"However much they sell, they are determined to make it authentic and when they couldn't find a suitable machinery supplier over there, they decided they would look for a company in England, which is the home of Cheddar cheese.

"We were delighted to have received the order and we're now looking forward to working with the Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company to find more work in America."

According to figures, Vermont has the most cheesemakers per capita in the United States, where an estimated $33bn worth of cheese products are sold each year. There are around 40 artisan cheesemakers in Vermont, which is famed for the quality of its dairy produce and is home to international ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's.

The Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company is a community-owned operation which uses milk taken from its own herd to make dairy products. It started cheese production early this year and will use the curd mill to produce its 1761 Vermont Farmstead Cheddar, a fissured and brittle open texture cheese reminiscent of an English Montgomery Cheddar.

Rick Wood, Vice President of Creamery Operations at the Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company, said: "The artisan cheese market is growing rapidly in the United States, yet there are no companies over here who can manufacture cheese-making equipment to the same standard as MCE Engineering do.

"The workmanship on the curd mill is impeccable and we were impressed by the experience of the design crew, who were able to work exactly to our needs.

"The new machinery will have a significant positive effect on our business and we are very keen to spread the word about MCE Engineering to other Vermont and US cheesemakers."

MCE Engineering was founded in 1996 and employs 25 people. It works in stainless steel, aluminium, mild steel and plastics and as well as the cheese and food production sectors, it serves other industries including construction, rail and marine.