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.
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.
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.
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.
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