About us...
Partners: Juliet Noble and Martin Orbach
We moved to Cwm Farm in 1984; a small farm of about 60 acres in the west of Herefordshire. We bought our first milking sheep in the summer of 1985 and began milking the following spring. Initially we sold the milk to cheese makers but soon decided to make our own product.
In the spring of 1987 we made our first ice-cream. Five flavours - Vanilla, Strawberry, Ginger, Lemon and bizarrely Carob - which we offered to a somewhat bemused wholesale trade. We were ahead of our time! At the same time we started selling at agricultural shows and local events and soon realised that selling direct to the public was an altogether more satisfying business. We made a conscious decision not to wholesale our product, but to be in control from the manufacturing right through to the cornet.
We gradually built up the ice cream business alongside the farm until
1997 when we decided to sell the milking flock and concentrate
exclusively on ice-cream making. We are delighted to be able to source
our milk from Philip Keen near Stratford-on-Avon, one of the UK's best
and most experienced sheep milkers. On April Fool's Day 2000 we opened
our ice cream parlour in Hay-on-Wye, the celebrated Welsh borders 'booktown'.
At last we are able to offer sheep's milk ice-cream every day of the
year - but you'll have to come to Hay to get it! Or at least the
Borders...
Fruits of the Earth, Weobley, Herefordshire
Fodder, Church Street, Hereford
Georges, Kington, Hereford
Myriad Organics, Ludlow
Golden Valley Stores, Peterchurch, Hereford
Longtown Post Office, Longtown, Herefordshire
© 2008 Shepherds Ice Cream (Juliet Noble & Martin Orbach)