TRADITIONAL ‘ proper ’ dairy ice cream is how Gary and Fiona Robinson of Low Birks Farm , Eldroth near Clapham describe Bouncing Cows ice cream , that they started in 2019 using milk from the family ’ s dairy herd , thinking they would be offering the first taste of it by scooping from a stand at local agricultural shows in 2020 .

In winter 2018 they bought the equipment needed , secondhand , to make their ice cream , which they had decided right from the outset would be a very natural product with no artificial colourings .

‘ It ’ s more what you ’ d call an artisan ice cream , how it used to be made , a bit colder , not like gelato ,’ says Gary .

Covid-19 restrictions put paid to any ideas of standing at agricultural shows last year , but they have found other avenues of promoting , which have in many ways proved less arduous than setting up and standing at a stall or a gazebo for hours on end , not that they would have minded it for the opportunity to meet their new customers .

‘ We would have loved to have stood at the local shows and to meet everyone with our ice cream , which we are very proud of ,’ says Gary . ‘ But we ’ ve had to do things quite differently for obvious reasons and what we ’ ve done seems to have established us better than we ’ d probably ever have hoped .’

‘ We now sell Bouncing Cows ice cream in 125 ml pots from a vending machine at The Courtyard Dairy near Settle , where Fiona works , and at other local places like Dalesbridge Camping Centre , the village shop in Austwick and at Le Caveau restaurant in Skipton . It has taken off very well . We also sell in 1 and 2 litre tubs and have developed a number of other lines , including for Christmas 2020 an ice cream Yuletide chocolate log .’

‘ Making ice cream from milk produced by our dairy herd had been on my mind for a few years , particularly since the last milk price crash when our price went down to a horrendous level . The ice cream only uses a small proportion of the

milk our 90 dairy cows produce , but at least it creates another income and one where we can control our own price .’

‘ Andy Swinscoe , who runs The Courtyard Dairy , had encouraged Fiona to perhaps supply milk for their cheeses ,’ says Gary . ‘ We chose to go down the ice cream route and he has supported us by having vending machines on his site that dispense cheese , ice cream and coffee that is all paid for contactless by card or phone .’

The Robinsons are also utilising their ice cream equipment to help fellow dairy farmers Rachel and Stephen Coates who farm at Low Springs Farm , Baildon .

‘ Rachel and Stephen already had their own vending machine for milk and have now added ice cream , which we make for them using milk from their cows ,’ says Gary .

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