FARMERS Tom and Margaret Fell were such ice cream lovers that they decided to make some with the milk produced by their 300 Holstein Friesian cows on the pastures of Drumlan Hall, near Tattenhall, Cheshire.

That was 20 years - and five million ice cream cones - ago.

Their company, called Cheshire Farm Ice Cream, was initially a sideline to begin with. Now it has a é1.2m annual turnover.

The ice cream is made with fresh whole milk and cream, without artificial preservatives or additives, and comes in over 30 flavours.

These include Christmas pudding, raspberry pavlova, apple pie and custard, liquorice and blackcurrant, tiramisu, cherry brandy and chocolate brazil.

The farm sells to other Cheshire farm shops and to major hotels including the Radisson Edwardian and Rossetti, in central Manchester.

Peckforton Castle

Tom and Margaret's own ice cream parlour on the farm between Beeston and Peckforton Castles now attracts over 250,000 visitors a year.

An education centre is attached, run by members of the Women's Farming Union, which is visited by school pupils from throughout the north west. It promotes awareness on nutrition and healthy eating.

Back in 1986, hot weather got the operation off to a flying start.

Tom said: "The good weather meant we had the best summer ever then, and initiatives by hotels and restaurants to source local products and cut down on food miles meant that our trade business exceeded our expectations, too."

The couple put their success down to the quality of their product plus a demand created in the region by people sampling the ice cream - often at regional fine food promotions and festivals. Tweet