A DAIRY farm has scooped four gold awards at an international competition.
The Brown family, who run Bidlea Dairy at Orchard Farm in Tremlow, has only been making ice cream for six months and were up against some of the country's top producers.
Adam Brown, wife Becky and the team came up with the idea when pubs, cafes and restaurants closed during lockdown and sales of fresh cream plummeted.
Adam Brown won four gold medals for his ice Bidlea Dairy ice cream
"We were pouring 1,000 litres of cream down the drain every week during lockdown," said Adam, 34. "We never set out to make ice cream but we needed to do something.
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"We invested money and got a good deal on some ex demonstration equipment. We didn't realise how much work was involved in making ice cream. It takes a lot of time."
Samantha Brook, Joakima Ashmore, Angela Williams, Harriet Brown and Adam Brown
Judges at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards 2021 described the award winning ice cream as 'smooth, rich and warm eating with excellent quality'.
Four flavours, honeycomb, rum and raisin, vanilla and raspberry ripple, won a gold medal.
Adam's nan Betty Hague with some of the 24 varieties of ice cream in the dairy shop
"Becky and I started crying, we were so happy," said Adam. "It was very emotional, we are so passionate about our ice cream."
The secret of their success, he believes, is the rich cream and top quality milk produced by their 300-strong Holstein Friesian herd.
Bidlea Dairy's Holstein Friesian herd which produces rich milk to make the award winning ice cream
"Our cows produce free range milk with a high butter fat which makes a big difference to the cream," said Adam.
"The milk is pumped through an overhead pipeline direct from the milking parlour into the pasteuriser. It doesn't come into contact with any humans. There are no milk tankers.
Adam Brown and baby daughter Harriet
"Everything is local, fresh and traceable.
"We also cut down on sugar because we increase the amount of cream, which creates sweetness. We are just blessed with a good product."
Some of the 24 Bidlea ice creams now available in the dairy shop
The couple, who have an eight-month-old daughter Harriet, work with Adam's brother Ryan, 28, wife Becky, sister Melanie, 32, parents Ray and Jill and other members of the family and friends.
A dairy shop now serves 24 varieties of ice cream and fresh milk is available round the clock from a vending machine.
"We are getting great feedback," said Adam. It has been hard work but it's all been worth it."
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