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Pull the udder one: farm scoops ice cream success
A family farm in Belper faced an uncertain future before finding an unlikely money-spinner – ice cream.
The Sutton family's Udder Stuff ice cream has been so successful supermarket giant Tesco has now agreed to stock it.
Farmer Malcolm Sutton, whose farm is based on Cowers Lane, said: "It's something we started to think about when the foot and mouth and BSE crises hit our industry, but at that time it was just on a very small scale.
"But it's gone so well, that now it's on the shelves in Tesco supermarkets right across the Midlands."
Malcolm, took over the business from his father in 1976. He now tends to 130 cows which are kept at the Chatsworth Estate, with the help of his two sons, his wife Kate and one other worker.
The family first investigated the possibility of making ice cream four years ago, but it took a long time to get the correct permissions.
Malcolm said: "We're really very pleased because its taken a lot of hard work to get here."
The ice cream was made using traditional production methods and natural ingredients, with no additive, he said.
Malcolm said: "We think it tastes like ice cream should. It's good quality stuff, with nothing but home cow's milk, cream, eggs and sugar.
"People really want to know where their food comes from these days and I think that's helped us."
The ice cream never leaves the estate before heading to the supermarket.
The Suttons, who trade under the name of the Cowhouse Dairy, want to expand their ice cream business in the future. They aim to introduce more flavours and increase production.
Tesco Midlands marketing manager James Gough said: "We are proud to support local producers and sell locally-manufactured products.
"Our customers tell us they want more local choice in Tesco stores and Udder Stuff from the Cowhouse Dairy is a great addition to our ever growing range of Midland products".
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Weather for Belper
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
