A former number cruncher who switched his attentions from figures to fudge has won a top award.

Graham Barton left the world of accountancy to taste sweet success making fudge.

After 20 years of spreadsheets and ledgers, he gave up his job and invested in a small kitchen unit at Fishbourne, near Chichester.

From there he has created an array of delicious confectionery and won awards in the "food Oscars".

His vanilla cream fudge has just won another gold medal in the prestigious Great Taste Awards, sponsored by Fortnum and Mason.

However, not all his flavours have been quite as successful - as anyone who tried his green chilli variety would testify.

Graham, who lives in Selsey, and makes 700 bags of fudge a week, said: "I was fed up with accountancy. I had done it for 20 years and wanted a change.

"I tried to think what I could do to replace it. I had made fudge part-time years ago to make ends meet and decided to try it.

"I set my unit up about two years ago and it is just me there with someone who works part-time packing."

Among his most popular varieties are coconut and lime and chocolate and lime, both of which picked up silver medals.

He said: "I developed the lime flavours to make some that were not so sweet. I use fresh limes which gives the fudge a sharpness. As far as I know these are unique varieties.

"Stem ginger is another popular flavour and walnut liqueur has won a bronze medal previously.

"I make about 20 flavours at the moment and like to experiment. I did try a green chilli fudge but that was awful."

Graham put his success down to using real butter and cream in his recipes and avoiding commercial flavourings.

But he said: "I used to like eating fudge but when you are making it all the time you get a bit sick of it."

Graham will now compete against other gold award winners for the overall national championship at the Speciality Fine Food Fair at Olympia in London from September 8 to 10.

Another Sussex business is also celebrating success in the "food Oscars".

The Weald Smokery, at Flimwell, near Robertsbridge, scooped a clutch of awards.

It won gold medals for its dry cured bacon and hot roast smoked salmon, as well as bronze medals for smoked duck, smoked venison and pastrami.

Andrew Wickham, who runs the smokery, said: "We are very happy to have won the golds."

Other winners in the UK Great Taste Awards include Ringden Farm Apple Juice, from nearby Hurst Green, which won six bronze awards.