5 minute read
Let’s make ice cream
Treat yourself to Scottish ice cream
By Janis Hopper
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After a summer when temperatures rocketed it’s been a good season for those who’ve diversified into ice cream. We look at five examples of ice cream producers who’ve done things a little differently.
ACHRAY FARM USP - GOATS MILK ICE CREAM
Achray Farm lies in Brig o’Turk between Callander and Aberfoyle in the heart of the Trossachs, selling goats milk ice cream and fresh fruit sorbets. The favours are often crafted from fresh herbs, fruits and foraged favours, growing on or around the farm. The milk comes from Achray’s micro dairy where a small herd of Anglo Nubians/Toggenberg and mixed goats are milked daily. The goat house and milking parlour are situated in listed stone barns, and the ice cream is created on site in a small larch clad cabin. Each pan is individually made using the farm’s goats milk and cream.
The idea came to farmers, Nicola Hornsby and Crispin Hoult, after visiting a ‘cheverie’ in France in 2017, where the couple accompanied a herd of goats on a foraging walk in the Ardeche National Park. Back home and inspired, they invested in their frst pair of milking goats, Pan and Ria.
Nicola and Crispin sell their ice cream directly from the farm at present from a newly refurbished, vintage horse trailer. Flavours have included blackcurrant, garden mint, elderfower, rhubarb & strawberry, jostaberry, lavender & lemon balm, barley malt, and bramble swirl.
The Great Trossachs Path runs through the land so many customers are walkers and cyclists, but consumers also visit the Three Lochs Forest Drive by car. The goats graze on an area of land that runs down to Loch Achray, and the smallholding is also home to a market garden plus a mix of fowl.
The couple hope to take their ice cream horse trailer to foodie events such as the Scottish Wild Food Festival near Balfron, Foraging Fortnight (offering a weekend of foraged favours at the farm) and Forth Valley Food and Drink Festival in October. Farm stays are also possible in Achray’s three bedroom farm house that sleeps six guests, and a newly renovated bothy should be available to visitors from Autumn 2021.
FOREST FARM DAIRY USP - ORGANIC MILK
In the rolling green hills of Aberdeenshire is a long established organic dairy, creating organic milk, yogurt, handcrafted artisan gelato and sorbet. It’s also home to milk vending machines (buy a glass milk bottle and fll it with organic whole milk), alongside other vending machines selling organic fresh curd cheese, halloumi and a host of other cheeses, eggs and dairy treats.
Ice cream can be bought in tubs to take home, or grab a cone
to enjoy in the farm’s Gelato Garden. Classic favours include pistachio, pure milk, biscoff and raspberry sorbet.
Another highlight, temporarily halted for Covid-19, is the 3.30pm ‘Milking Live’ when onlookers can witness the milking process and learn more about the cows and the farm’s organic approach.
forestfarmdairy.co.uk
CREAM O’ GALLOWAY USP - KIND ORGANIC MILK AND ICE CREAM MAKING WORKSHOP
Cream o’ Galloway is set near Rainton Farm in Dumfries and Galloway, and it offers a fun ninety minute event that allows tourists and keen mini tourists to create their own ice cream in a hands-on workshop, selecting ingredients and creating new favour combinations.
The milk comes from Rainton’s organic ‘cow with calf’ dairy farm, a rare ‘kind’ dairy farm, whereby calves are left with their mothers to suckle for fve months. As the homemade ice cream freezes, guests try an ice cream tasting experience, learn trade secrets, and ask any questions they may have along the way.
Cream o’ Galloway also runs Ethical Dairy farm tours, cheese making workshops, and a variety of cheeses are for sale (available on site and via mail order) including Fleet Valley Blue, Rainton Tomme, Laganory and Carrick.
creamogalloway.co.uk
MACKIE’S ICE CREAM USP - CITY CENTRE ICE CREAM PARLOUR
Most farmers understandably offer their ice cream experiences
Forest Farm milk bottle in the countryside, in close proximity to the farm. Mackie’s of Scotland opted to cater for the city market (where there’s greater footfall) by opening its 19.2 parlour in December 2018. Situated on Marischal Square in Aberdeen, the parlour was named Mackie’s 19.2 after the distance a crow fies from the parlour to the farm. 19.2 allows the brand to have fun with new recipes and test out potential products. It stocks 32 flavours of ice cream, and has tried many unusual offerings for special calendar dates such as haggis & marmalade for Burns Night, pine tree for Christmas and also buttery & jam as a unique flavour from the North East of Scotland. There are over 725,000 possible combinations of toppings, waffles, crepes, sundaes and two ever-flowing chocolate taps. The original, natural flavour ‘Traditional’ remains the most popular. This city centre offering proves that farm diversification projects don’t have to be a rural affair.
mackies.co.uk STEWART TOWER DAIRY, PERTHSHIRE USP - THE ROUNDHOUSE
Stewart Tower Dairy is a big player, creating over 250 Italian gelato style ice cream favours from its herd of Holstein Friesian cattle. Many favours have also been recreated in gluten free, dairy free and vegan alternatives. Whilst the ice cream is sold wholesale and can be purchased in public attractions, cafés, parlours, restaurants, theatres and hotels throughout Scotland, it’s also available at the dairy’s Roundhouse.
Originally a horse engine house, the Roundhouse was constructed around 1840 and has been transformed into a takeaway ice cream parlour. Alongside indulgent dairy treats, customers appreciate panoramic views of Perthshire from the outdoor seating area, and children are entertained by the farm’s herd of pygmy goats.
Next door to the Roundhouse is Stewart Tower’s farm shop that sells quality meat, fruit and vegetables, cheeses and, of course, a large selection of ice cream tubs to take home.
stewart-tower.co.uk
As we head into Autumn take time to chill out with these inventive and imaginative frozen Scottish treats.
Mackie’s Ice Cream Parlour
