Ice cream manufacturer keeps cool with LEP funding

A YORK-BASED ice cream manufacturer, Yorvale, has expanded with the help of a cool £30,000 from the Leeds City Region LEP to top off a total of £154,600 investment.

The Local Enterprise Partnership funding has helped Yorvale expand its production facilities and hire three new members of staff.

The firm will convert a former barn building into a cold store room and implement water-saving methods.

The £154,600 investment also saw a water storage unit installed which collects 1.6 million litres of waste water that is stored for six months and then sprayed on the land as organic fertiliser.

Yorvale began in 1989 when dairy farmers Ian and Lesley Buxton began using the surplus milk from their cows to make ice cream.

Lesley Buxton, co-founder of Yorvale want to grow the business within the catering sector, and expand into the retail market.

Roger Marsh, chairperson of the LEP said: “We are thrilled to have been able to assist Yorvale in this strategic investment. Yorvale ice cream is a well-loved Yorkshire business and the LEP is pleased to have provided a grant to support employment in one of the region’s key sectors.”

Lesley Buxton added: “The grant was welcomed by the business as it was necessary for the large investment we made. We would recommend the LEP to any businesses within the area who are looking to grow.”