A WEST Wales dairy farm which started using its milk to make artisan ice cream has opened a shop in Haverfordwest.

Lochmeyler Farm Ice Cream opened the doors of its ice cream parlour at the Riverside Shopping Centre in Haverfordwest as the town switched on its Christmas lights at the start of December.

“It is never too cold for ice cream!” said Margo Evans, who runs the family business with her husband Matthew.

“We are taking orders for Christmas, and we also do milkshakes and hot chocolates.”

Fresh milk from the family’s 350-strong dairy herd at Lochmeyler Farm in Llandeloy is used to make the ice cream, which is stocked by outlets throughout the county.

Questions from restaurant customers about where they could buy the ice cream led the Evans family to think about selling it directly.

“A lot of people were asking where they could buy our ice cream,” said Margo, “the shop is something we had been talking about for a while.”

 

The shop at Haverfordwest's Riverside Shopping Centre.

They chose Haverfordwest as St Davids, which the farm is nearer to, already has the Bench offering ice cream.

The family-run business was featured at the summer’s Royal Welsh Show through its work with Cywain, a project that supports the development of food and drink businesses in Wales.

The couple began producing ice cream at the Food Centre Wales in Horeb, but are now adding the final touches to an ice cream production unit on the farm, housed in the old dairy.

Among the flavours are Blackberry, Pembrokeshire Salted Caramel, Ginger, Chocolate, and Pistachio.

There are special Christmas-inspired flavours too, including Christmas Pudding Trwffl, White Chocolate and Cranberry, and Gingerbread.

Lochmeyler Farm Ice Cream uses local ingredients from Pembrokeshire Sea Salt, Trwffl, Farmers Food At Home, and Farm Cottage Bakery.

The ice cream bar plans to open six days a week, all year-round, but in January there will be reduced opening hours.