Be cool - love local

As the country celebrates National Ice Cream Week, food writer Gillian Cowburn takes a timely look at the refreshing treats on offer, and reminds us why it is important to think local - buy local - eat local.

"The sunshine has been a godsend," said Frances Fryer of English Lakes Ice Cream who, with husband Peter, is celebrating 13 years at the helm of ELIC.

Trade has been 'up and down', but Mrs Fryer puts that down to a mix of the recession and the weather.

"We had a terric Easter, the best we've ever had, and then at the beginning of May sales just plummeted," she explained. "But then at half-term they went berserk again. We were really busy and picked up a lot of the trade we had lost in May, which wasn't that warm."

With the 2009 trend towards 'staycations' - holidaying in the UK or even staying at home - the hope is that the UK tourism industry will enjoy a much-needed boost. But no-one can plan for the weather and so the glorious Easter and half-term have been the icing on everyone's cake.

"All this sunshine will have helped people to have a good experience in the Lakes which hopefully means they will come back again next year," commented Mrs Fryer. "And if people haven't been here before then perhaps they will realise what they have been missing."

English Lakes Ice Cream traditionally launches a new flavour every year - for 2009 watch out for the abfab 'triple berry smoothie' which is a blend of English Lakes ice cream, fresh live yoghurt from Dale Farm Dairies which is based next to ELIC off Shap Road in Kendal, and banana puree, all rippled with dark forest fruits.

Holme Farm near Grange-over-Sands is at the opposite end of the production scale to ELIC, but farmer's wife Brenda Lawrence has been experiencing the same trends.

Now in her ninth year, Mrs Lawrence makes ice cream with milk from the farm's dairy herd.

"I have had to double production when the sun has been shining," said Mrs Lawrence who makes her ice cream to an Italian recipe.

"It is noticable that people think of ice cream when it is hot, but it is something that you can eat year-round because it goes with everything."

Although ice cream is only available from the farm itself from Easter through to September, you can buy it all year from Lindale Post Office, which has sold the ice cream since Mrs Lawrence started out nine years ago, and from Butterfingers in Grange which has been selling it for the past two years.

Meanwhile, the Windermere Ice Cream Company is also enjoying strong sales following the disappointment of 2008.

"It just rained, rained and rained again during summer last year," said boss Steve Duffin. "Even if it is cold and windy we sell ice cream but rain is our enemy."

Now making some of his own fresh flavourings (strawberry, lemon curd, and rhubarb and custard), Mr Duffin uses organic milk from the Low Sizergh Farm dairy herd. So when the Windermere Ice Cream Company does well - so does the local economy.

"We sell ice cream at Tarn Hows which is part of the National Trust. And Low Sizergh farms on the National Trust's Sizergh estate," explained Mr Duffin. "The local link runs right through everything we do."