What a scoop! Meet the ice cream makers

Whether it’s the classic taste of vanilla, sweet strawberry or chocolate chip – we’ve all got our favourite flavours.

Eating ice cream can make us feel like children again and transport us back to family holidays at the seaside.

And tempting our tastebuds with their vast range of artisan ice creams and sorbets is helping put a growing Shropshire company on the culinary map.

Every day the enthusiastic team churns out 90 litres of delicious desserts which are destined for restaurants, farm shops and special events around the area.

Weekend was invited to go behind the scenes of the Shropshire Ice Cream Company run by Pat Parkes to find out how to whip up the perfect ice cream.

“It’s as much about how it feels in your mouth as how it tastes,” she tells us. “You want it to feel smooth, if it tastes good but it’s icy then that’s going to ruin the experience. The balance of flavours also have to be right.”

Business is booming for the company which has trebled in size in the past two years, having been able to increase production with new machines at its base on Telford’s Stafford Park 4.

It’s a hive of activity with plenty of blending, experimenting – and, of course, tasting – going on in the busy kitchen.

“Ice cream is big business. There is great demand for a quality product made with all natural ingredients. We cater for restaurants who have a passion for local produce.

“We feel ice cream should be part of the main dessert – not just an add on. Like how you choose a bottle of wine to suit the main course, you want an ice cream to complement a dessert and lift it to a higher level.

“A busy restaurant kitchen isn’t an ideal place to make ice cream because there is too much going on, so restaurants that make their own desserts and want a quality ice cream will come to us.

“We have a core range but we like experimenting too. We develop flavours to suit a menu or event like a wedding,” says Pat, who has a background in project management.

Her journey into the world of ice cream making first began when her son James, aged 33, was getting married five years ago and was struggling to find a supplier for his reception.

Unhappy with the options available, a determined Pat took to the kitchen to have a go at making the it herself. “He wanted a dessert table but we couldn’t find an ice cream producer that made a completely natural ice cream. They would either have gums or other additives added to them.

“Natural ice cream has a much cleaner taste, it feels nicer in your mouth,” says Pat.

After testing the results of her labour out on family and friends, she served up ice creams flavoured with vanilla, chocolate and seasalt caramel.

They all proved such a huge hit with her son’s wedding guests that she decided she didn’t want to stop there.

Now she produces an extensive range of flavours such as her popular Madagascan vanilla bean, salted caramel, roasted strawberry or banoffee, and is constantly creating new recipes to complement a restaurant’s menu or for special occasions.

For Weekend’s visit, she was trying out a new recipe for a clotted cream ice cream with a limoncello curd running through it.

“We only use natural ingredients. The ingredients for our dairy ice cream are blended before being pasteurised and homogenised.

“It’s then aged for at least 24 hours which ensures that it’s naturally creamy and smooth before being frozen with the final addition of any other natural ingredients. The difference in taste is obvious, with a much purer product and natural flavour,” says Pat, who was also making a clotted cream and strawberry ripple.

We began with a base mixture of milk, cream, sugar, and skimmed milk powder – the ingredients used can differ depending on the desired flavour being made.

They are all placed in a 60-litre capacity machine where it is constantly stirred to prevent the formation of large ice crystals for around an hour and a half. The clotted cream is then added by hand before it’s mixed again. For the ripple, lemon curd is combined with drops of limoncello and it is regularly tasted to ensure there is the ideal balance with just a hint of the liqueur.

The ice cream is poured out of the machine into tub at the same time as the lemon mixture is added to create the desired ripple effect. Then it’s time to sample it – everyone agrees that it tastes devine – it’s both creamy and refreshing with a lovely lemon flavour.

“Making ice cream is science. Even something like adding clotted cream can affect it’s make up so you have to take care to get it right,” says Pat.

‘Jaffer cake’, toffee apple crunch and orange marmalade, honeycomb, mint choc chip and stem ginger are just a few of the flavours they have developed.

There have also been more unusual ones such as beer, cheese, honey parsnip and even acorn. “We didn’t know what acorn would taste like but it was a bit like hazelnut. We made that for The Peach Tree in Shrewsbury. People still ask about it now. It had quite a memorable taste. The only limitation with ice cream is the imagination of the chef,” Pat says.

Working alongside her in the kitchen is production supervisor Sarah Bennett who started in April this year. “I love making ice cream, I love the different flavours because there are so many possibilities, I love experimenting and I love eating it!

“I think the ‘jaffer cake’ one is my favourite – it’s full of chocolate, orange purée and zest but all of the flavours are luscious,” she says.

The team also sells their ice cream from two vintage caravans at events including this weekend’s Cosford Food Festival and are always on hand to offer advice.

“Sometimes people will choose two scoops that will not go together as well as they might with other flavours. We can suggest two that complement each other so they get the best taste,” explains Pat.

They also have a mouthwatering range of fruit sorbets, made using seasonal produce, and are also beginning to cater for vegan customers. “There is a growing demand for vegan products. We’ve developed a vegan sea salt caramel ice cream,” she says.

Pat has been delighted by the positive response from her customers which she says makes it all worthwhile. “Seeing everybody enjoy the ice cream so much really motivates me to carry on.

“I think people like ice cream because it can bring back memories – everybody remembers being a child and having an ice cream on a day out.

“Our job is to keep that memory alive but also give them an element of surprise so it’s very different to what they are expecting.

“It’s a wonderful job, especially at this time of year.”

• See www.shropshireicecream.co.uk