Production began with tests and small batches made by hand in
the corner of the milk packing dairy. In 1993 we created a new ice
cream dairy - housed in an existing farm building, which originally
was a milking byre, then a grain mill. The original water wheel
is still in place but inside the "olde worlde" appearance
is replaced by state of the art, high care production facilities
with the capacity to produce more than 10 million litres per year.
  |
| preparing
the ingredients |
To make our ice
cream, fresh cream is mixed with milk - all from our own herd of jerseys.
A computer-controlled system ensures the right quantities of milk
and cream are delivered to the mixing vessel. The dry ingredients
are then added, the mixture is pasteurised. The effect of this pasteurisation
is to make sure that all harmful organisms which may be present in
the original raw materials are made harmless.
Next, to make sure
that the fats in the mixture are as small as possible the mix is homogenised.
In this process the fats are reduced to very small sized globules
which do not rise on standing. This also means that the final ice
cream has a satisfyingly smooth texture.
Following these two processes the mix is rapidly cooled and then aged at low temperature so that it will freeze better. After ageing, the fruit and any other flavour ingredients are added. It is then frozen in large freezers, which whip the desired amount of air into the product so that it is pleasant to eat. At the same time the temperature is reduced so that the ice cream becomes more solid.
 |
| being delivered |
The ice cream mixture
is poured into tubs which are packed and frozen hard. Rigorous quality
control tests are carried out throughout the process and before it
is released for distribution to the shops. It is best for the ice
cream to be kept at temperature of - 18C on it's way to you.
The whole production process takes less than 24 hours
from fresh milk from the farm to Ice cream in the tub - giving Mackie's
ice cream it's superb fresh and creamy taste.
