Producer: Stewart Tower Dairy, Stanley, Perthshire

Stewart tower dairy Stanley oerth Perthshire Gleneagles Neil Linsey butler

As part of our visit to Gleneagles, we got the chance to visit one of their local suppliers, Stewart Tower Dairy.

With the well known price squeezing for milk, farms like Stewart Tower Dairy have had to diversify. 70 lovely Holstein Fresian ladies provide the raw material for their home made ice cream, which is supplied to their on site cafe as well as to venues such as Gleneagles.

Stewart tower dairy ice cream Gleneagles Perthshire
A quick peek at the ladies milking and getting their supper.

A wander around the farm let us peek into the milking area, have a look at some recent new borns and then time to see the ladies having their supper.

A couple of friendly moos and nose stroking later, we headed in to see the next stage.

Stewart tower dairy ice cream Gleneagles Perthshire
From cow to ice cream

 

The milk is then pasteurised and spun through an Italian gelato machine.  Think of an ice cream washing machine – it’s that fast!

It wasn’t long until smooth and creamy ice cream was being poured out and into the tubs,  we all had a go at pouring our own tubs and flavouring them.  Mr Foodie picked salt licorice, as he knows I don’t like this and he’d have the tub to himself!  Unfortunately for him at the taste test late, it was a popular choice!  I chose Limoncello, hic, to flavour my tub.

It was time to check out the proper flavours, and what a task that was.  So many to choose from such as Turkish delight, coconut and sweet chilli, pana cotta and balsamic strawberry, fig and yoghurt as well as malted milk.  You could quite happily spend all day in there.

Stewart tower dairy ice cream Gleneagles Perthshire
A multitude of flavours

As well as ice cream there is a cafe in site, built in the old round horse engine house. We had nipped in here before a couple of years ago for a cuppa and cake, and remembered enjoying it.

The farm is one of four in Scotland selected as part of the Climate Change Focus Farm Project. This enabled them to install a wind turbine on site to provide sustainable energy.  So keep an eye out for their wind turbine.

Open 7 days a week from 10am to 4pm

more information at  Stewart Tower Dairy website.

Many thanks to Neil and Linsey Butler of Stewart Tower Dairy and Gleneagles Hotel for enabling our visit.

Stewart tower dairy Stanley oerth Perthshire Gleneagles Neil Linsey butler

 

Emma

Emma

Hello!

I am Emma and with my husband Mark write Foodie Explorers, which is a food and travel website.

I am a member of the Guild of Food Writers and British Guild of Travel Writers.

We have a wide range of judging experience covering products, hotels and have judged, for example, for Great Taste Awards and Scottish Baker of the Year.

Along the way Mark gained WSET Level 2 in Wine and I have WSET Level 2 in Spirits as well as picking up an award with The Scotsman Food and Drink Awards.    

Usually I can be found sleeping beside a cat.

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