Purbeck Ice Cream
P
eter and Hazel Hartle are proud to be Founder
Members of Dorset Food & Drink. Twenty-seven
years ago, they and their three small sons were
farming 120 acres, running 60 head of Friesian cows, when
the government imposed milk quotas – rendering the dairy
farm unviable.
If they were to stay on the farm, a plan was needed, and
making ice cream to use up surplus milk and cream fitted
the bill perfectly!
Using fresh Purbeck milk, thick Dorset cream, British
sugar and an abundance of only the best natural
ingredients, with no artificial additives, GMOs, added
colours or nuts, gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians,
everything is made on the farm with fun, love and passion
by a small and friendly team.
Purbeck Ice Cream is determined to find sources as close
to home as possible – right here in Dorset. This year three
innovative flavours have been added, including Dorset
Wasabi made with locally grown, freshly grated wasabi
infused within fresh milk and cream and perfect served
with sushi. There’s a wonderful, aromatic Sweet Fennel
which is surprisingly good served with white fish and a
fresh and fruity Blood Orange Sorbet that is as visually
stunning as it is zingingly fresh.
With a dedicated and enthusiastic local team, grit,
determination, and a will to succeed, Purbeck Ice Cream is
available throughout Dorset, on land across the UK, on sea
on many cruise ships and in the air on airlines, firmly flying
the flag for Purbeck and for our beautiful county of Dorset!
The Game of Cones
We ask co-founder Hazel Hartle about making Dorset’s favourite ice cream…
Tell us a bit about your Dorset roots…
From the ’80s we ran a dairy farm gearing up to milking
our maximum 80 cows when the government imposed
milking quotas on all UK dairy farms. Awarding us 30
cows’ worth rendered the farm unviable so we embarked
on our exhilarating adventure to make the best possible,
natural, real dairy ice cream.
What are some of your favourite places to visit
in Dorset?
I love being at home on our farm but we do venture off
occasionally to visit the sea. Chapmans Pool, Dancing
Ledge, Houns-Tout are all walkable from our farm.
Moreton Church with its beautiful etched glass is only a
short drive, and we have lovely shops, pubs and
restaurants right on the doorstep.
What are the benefits of being a smaller scale
producer like Dorset Food and Drink’s
members?
We can make our own rules, and have very few other
than to always do our best and to have a whale of a time
doing it.
What’s the one item of Dorset food and drink we
have to try?
It has to be Purbeck Ice Cream of course,
complemented by a pint of Dorset Draft from our
son’s orchards – he’s the founder of the Purbeck Cider
Company.
What are your favourite places to eat and drink
in Dorset?
There are so many to choose from! Holme Farm Shop,
the Kings Arms Stoborough and the Square & Compass
at Worth Matravers to name but a few...
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