Muddyboots

Follow the fortunes of Muddyboots & Family on their East Yorkshire farm which has changed from dairy farm to luxury ice cream manufacture

Wednesday 1 August 2007

free fall into summer

Amazing isn't it how a change in the weather cheers everyone up. 4 weeks ago we were in the grips of the Great Flood, today the sun has been shining all day, the sun shone yesterday & the sun is forecast to shine tomorrow.

With the dramatic turn around in day time temperatures has seen a rapid increase in visitor numbers to the East Coast. So this evening as l attempt to write a coherent blog, l must confess to being absolutely knackered. We have been inundated by happy customers which is excellent. It is a wonderfully satisfying feeling watching small children peering into the ice cream cabinet trying to decided which flavour to choose and then what sort of cone, or visitors, taking photos of themselves with their voluptuous ice cream sundaes.

A few years ago we were dairy farmers running a commercial herd of fresian Holsteins, trying to make a go of it on the back of unsustainable low milk prices, now, we have diversified and produce a high value product that people actually want to buy together with our on-farm ice cream parlour & cafe which welcomes locals & tourists alike with a smile.

From now until the schools go back in September, providing the weather holds, we are going to be extremely busy, and that is an understatement. The production team are busy making ice cream to ensure that we & our wholesale customers do not run out of our delicious, creamy ice cream made, of course, with the milk from mr moo's dairy cows!

Enjoy!

11 comments:

Un Peu Loufoque said...

Only wish I could dear it sounds so wholesome and tempting!!

Suffolkmum said...

I was just going to say what UPL said - I only wish I could!! Best of luck with the season, you must be exhausted by the end of it.

snailbeachshepherdess said...

It sounds divine...but back breaking slog...good luck and take care!!!

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

It must be very very satisfying...

Posie said...

Ah that ice cream sounds like heaven, so pleased every one in the area thinks so too, well done on the diversification, not an easy one especailly getting the farmers who have a way of life to acccept change inorder to survive and go forward, it is awful what has happened to farming, great that you are there and going forward. Posiex

annakarenin said...

I don't know how you resist eating up all the profits????Yummy I love icecream. Question, are you glad you were forced to diversify? Farming is hard work what-ever way you look at it but which did you enjoy more just being a traditional diary farmer or running your icecream parlour et al?

Westerwitch/Headmistress said...

Long may the temperature rise for you and increase your hard earned profits.

countrymousie said...

Yes, praying for a great sunny summer for you so the whole world comes to buy ice cream. I would love some but of course cant eat the ruddy milk!
Rice milk ice cream is never going to catch on I feel!!!!
Cloudy here today on the Suffolk coast but dry and harvest is progressing and the wheat prices are looking better.

muddyboots said...

l am afraid that with farm incomes as they are today, there are not many options open to you. You can get larger, spread your costs. we didn't want to be in a situation of milking 250+ cows. hubby didn't want to emigrate, too far from his mum! so we decided to add value to the basic product, milk. l should add that we spent several years,along with many other liked minded farmers up here, trying to rally farmers to work together as a co-op, but, that is another story which we went over on the CL page l seem to remember. as to which is the best? prob. the ice cream bit as you have direct contact with your customers whether general public or wholesale. you are producing something that people will pay the price you set, not as with milk whereby you are told what price you will receive.

Anonymous said...

Your fridge looks so much more interesting than mine.

Crystal xx

Pondside said...

Hi Muddy - it's good to catch up with your blogs...went right back to the Fish and Chips. What a treat! We weren't allowed to eat it either, when I was young. My mother thought that fish had to be baked - and I longed for fried!!
You and your husband are an inspiration. It must have taken a lot of nerve and faith in yourselves to make the leap to ice cream making and the retail end of things. If I ever get to England in the summer time I am heading right for a place that sells your ice cream!

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