Chef making ripples at 18 as he goes to extremes with his ice creams

Having faced the challenge of cooking at highly-regarded Winteringham Fields, near Scunthorpe, Mr Kramer longed for the chance to test his own creativity so decided to go it alone.

The 18-year-old is now devising recipes in his own kitchen and has decided to specialise in ice cream, setting up shop with his girlfriend Sarah Owen, also 18.

Mr Kramer said: "After I finished my course I worked in some top restaurants, including Winteringham Fields, but the hours are very long, sometimes from 8.30am to 2am the next day.

"Making your own ice cream is the sort of thing you learn as part of a pastry course and once I had learned I really wanted to start making weird ice creams with different flavours.

"But when you are in someone else's kitchen you can't really experiment, and I really wanted to try new things, so thought it would be a good idea to set up on my own.

"I thoroughly enjoy it. Being your own boss is more fun and I get to do both sides of the business, both the creating and the interacting with customers to see what they think. When you are in a kitchen you are shut away from all that and you can't see the reactions."

Mr Kramer, who has opened his parlour, called Ti Amo, in Dower House Square, Bawtry, near Doncaster, is planning some unusual creations and is already selling Earl Grey Sorbet.

Customers will soon also be able to sample a pesto flavoured ice cream which will be served with a beef dish alongside ices flavoured with real bacon and eggs.

Miss Owen, who met her boyfriend on the internet and moved from South Wales to help him start up the business, said people were generally quite adventurous.

She added: "Our main selling point is that all the ice cream is made from scratch, here in the shop. As far as we know, there is nowhere else in Doncaster that does what we do.

"When Ben said he wanted to be his own boss we realised that it would be good to set up our own business. We got a loan from the bank and just went for it."

Mr Kramer's mother Vanessa, of Cantley, Doncaster, said: "We are so proud of them both. They are proving that young people can beat the credit crunch."

The business also received a small loan from Doncaster Council's Success Doncaster scheme. Mr Kramer uses milk from Sutcliffe Dairies in nearby Misson and other local produce.