HAMPSHIRE company Meadow Cottage Ice Cream has been selected as Producer of the Month by National Trust property, Mottisfont.

The family run farm produce a delicious range of award-winning ice creams and sorbets, but in June it’s the fragrant Rose Petal ice cream that visitors can’t wait to get their hands on when they visit the Trust gardens near Romsey. Made exclusively for Mottisfont, it complements perfectly the garden’s ‘star’ attraction, its world-famous walled rose garden, now just coming into full bloom.

“We’ve supplied Mottisfont with our homemade ices for more than ten years now, but the Rose Petal variety is something rather special,” says Celia Haynes, who runs the farm with her husband Peter, brother Hugh Blackburne, children Julie and Mark, and assistant Laura Jarvis.

“Until this year, it’s only been available in small tubs from Mottisfont’s garden kiosk, but it’s recently been chosen as one of the flavours to be sold in the new ice cream parlour, so people can enjoy it in a traditional cone too.”

Producer of the Month is a new concept, created by Mottisfont’s Catering and Functions Manager, Anne Edwards, who is proud of the estate’s achievements in supporting a wide variety of local suppliers. Mottisfont is also a corporate friend of Hampshire Fare, the highly successful food initiative to support and promote local food.

“We’ve worked hard over the past few years to establish close links with local businesses, many of which are family run like Meadow Cottage,” says Anne. “We get fantastic feedback from our visitors, who really enjoy knowing that they are supporting these industries at the same time as enjoying the freshest ingredients available.”

Situated between the villages of Churt and Headley, Meadow Cottage Farm and their herd of pretty Weydown Jersey cows began making ice cream in1984, producing six flavours, which has now expanded to 20. They put the unique taste of their ice cream down to the nutritious grass and clover varieties upon which the cows feed, enhancing the quality of the milk. Natural unpasturised double cream and raw whole milk from the Jersey herd account for 70 per cent of the ingredients in the ice cream recipes created by daughter Julie. The range also includes sucrose-free ice creams, as well as vegan-friendly sorbets.

“We’ve won quite a few awards over recent years, but one of the real bonuses for me is that we are able to give the thousands of visitors that come to Mottisfont’s gardens the chance to try a unique and delicious local product, made on a small family farm,” says Celia. Meadow Cottage ice cream, sorbets, milk and cream can be purchased from the Meadow Cottage Farm shop.

• On 10 July, visitors can meet the cows and taste some of their delicious produce at the Meadow Cottage Farm Open Day, 11am-4pm.

• Meadow Cottage Farm, Churt Road, Headley, Bordon GU35 8SS. Tel: 01428 712155.