New business gains help ice cream maker Yorvale to withstand cold blast of recession

Ice cream maker Yorvale has reported record sales as it wins customers close to home.

Over the last year, Yorvale, based in Acaster Malbis, near York, has gained new business in food service and retail accounts. Supermarket chain Booths and Co-op stores across Yorkshire now stock Yorvale's products.

Ian Buxton, one of the directors of Yorvale, said yesterday: "Our turnover to the year end April 2009 was 650,000 which was a 17.8 per cent increase. We are on target for an 18 per cent increase to the end of this financial year April 2010."

Mr Buxton's wife, Lesley, who is also a director, said: "We have worked hard to win the new business over the last year and it's particularly satisfying that almost all of our growth in the retail sector has come from Yorkshire.

"We are delighted by the support that we have had from Booths and the Co-op and attractions including York Theatre Royal and the York Castle Museum."

Mr and Mrs Buxton started Yorvale with a single ice cream van in 1989.

They put their success down to having "stress-free" cows, who are only milked once a day.