But it hasn’t always been the case. 25 years ago, our centuries old dairy farm had to make a decision; diversify or continue to struggle in a difficult and uncertain landscape for farmers.
Just like so many small dairy farmers in the 1990s, we found it increasingly difficult to make a living from just dairy production and began to explore new ways to supplement our income through diversification and expansion. Our farm had successfully been producing quality organic milk for many years, so the idea of applying it in the manufacture of something new seemed an obvious choice.
Together with my wife Julie, I now run Woodland’s of Erbistock Ice Cream, but in those early days, the decision to create great ice cream from our rich and creamy milk fell to my father and elder brother, Michael, who had returned home to the farm a few years earlier.
It was time to make our dream a reality. We already had a perfect building near to the dairy which could soon be converted into a production area. And with the ice cream market then being dominated by huge multinational companies who were producing very cheap, very sweet products, we excitedly realised there was room for our quality alternative. Fortunately, the Government was keen to encourage diversification by entrepreneurial farmers with good ideas and they offered us a grant which helped Woodland’s of Erbistock Ice Cream on its way.
Within a week of the business being set up, I too returned home to the family farm and soon set out on the road to sell our new product. 25 years on and the business is now stronger than ever; we’ve never lost our obsession in creating new and exciting flavours and our ice cream is now enjoyed in more and more shops and restaurants across the country.
