Dewsbury ice cream parlour scoops national award

Geoffrey and Audrey Wraithmell run Charlotte’s Jersey Ice Cream at The Meadows, Whitley, and entered their raspberry pavlova in the National Ice Cream Competition in Harrogate. The pair create their flavours using milk from their mini-herd of Jersey cows, and have taken away a trophy to add to the two awards they won last year in the Ice Cream Alliance’s annual ceremony.

Geoff and Audrey began making ice cream nearly 20 years ago after moving onto a smallholding and realising they needed a use for their cows’ milk. They named the business after their daughter Charlotte, now 28, and expanded to open a 100-seater parlour which sells 36 varieties.

The couple, who ran a haulage business before their career change, enjoyed a banquet with other names from the industry before the winners were announced. They have now been asked to provide dessert for next year’s awards dinner.

“It was a fantastic experience. You’re competing with the rest of the UK - the best of the best. We’ll be on edge a bit, with all those ice cream experts!” said Geoff.

Despite the success of their exotic flavours, Geoff says his customers still favour classic vanilla scoops.

“Vanilla is the most popular. It’s my favourite too - when I go elsewhere I never have anything else. You can tell a lot by eating vanilla mix - it’s the key.”