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Happiness on a plate Running a dairy farm, supplying the milk for Cornish ice cream, is one woman’s ideal job... When Jenny Littleton (left), a dairy farmer and supplier for Kelly’s ice cream, first started working on a farm it felt as if a dream had come true. “I grew up in a town in Essex, but all I ever wanted was to be a country girl,” she says. To fulfil her ambition, Jenny went to agricultural college and moved to Cornwall – and has never looked back. “I’ve lived on my Cornish farm with my husband Clive for over 30 years now, and I love it,” she says. “Clive and I started up our business from scratch, and now we have a herd of 200 dairy cows, supplying milk to Kelly’s of Cornwall every day of the year.” It's this local Cornish milk and cream that goes into every Kelly’s ice cream recipe that gives it such a unique creamy, smooth taste. Jenny, who has three children, also runs a number of self-catering cottages on her Chark Farm estate, so holiday-makers can come and experience the joys of life on a working dairy farm for themselves.
Crêpes with Cornish ice cream are a family treat “Visitors really enjoy staying here and experiencing country life first hand,” she says. “They can help care for the animals: we have goats, ponies, geese and ducks.” One of the highlights for guests is watching the milking. “Our cows are milked twice a day: once at 3.30am and again at 3.30pm. People often ask if they can watch – although they prefer the afternoon shift!” And the best treat after a hard day on the farm? Kelly’s Cornish ice cream of course. “The family loves to tuck in to Kelly’s Cornish ice cream now and again,” says Jenny. “Knowing it’s made with milk from our own cows makes it even more delicious. And it’s great served with my fruit crêpes (right). A real treat after a hard day’s work!”
Jenny’s Fruit Crêpes Berries capture the true essence of summer. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes 400g (14oz) strawberries, chopped 400g (14oz) raspberries, or other red fruit juice of 1 lemon 50g (2oz) caster sugar 200g (7oz) flour 2 eggs 600ml (1 pint) milk 50g (2oz) butter, melted Kelly's Strawberries & Cream ice cream
1 Place the fruit in a bowl and pour over the lemon juice and caster sugar. 2 Sieve the flour, adding a pinch of salt, then add the eggs and milk and beat along with the melted butter until you have a thick batter. 3 Melt a knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan, pour in a little batter and cook the pancakes. 4 Fold the pancakes twice to make an open parcel. Fill with fruit, then sprinkle with a little caster sugar and serve with a generous scoop of Kelly’s Strawberries and Cream ice cream.
Find out more Visit kellysofcornwall.co.uk to read more about the fascinating Kelly’s of Cornwall story, meet some of the local farmers and see the full range of Kelly’s of Cornwall ice cream. Prices start at £2.99 from major supermarkets.