A SPECIALLY-formulated feed has sent milk production soaring in the herd which supplies a Dales ice- cream.

The 120 Guernsey cows which supply Brymor Ice- Cream are each producing an extra 1,500 litres of milk a year, which means ice-cream production at High Jervaulx Farm, near Masham, has risen to 300,000 litres a year.

Brymor puts it all down to the custom-made feed from I'Anson Bros of Masham.

The total annual milk yield is now 800,000 litres, making Brymor's own herd one of the 20 most productive in the country. This has enabled them to sell their high quality ice creams, cheeses and creams to more than 300 delicatessens and supermarkets from Newcastle to Manchester.

The dairy feed, jointly formulated by animal nutritionist Joe Youden and I'Ansons technical sales manager Mike Every, includes soya and maize extracts. It was developed to provide the range of nutrients needed to produce the rich, high butterfat milk required for top-of-the-range dairy foods.

"We are a farm-based operation and our ice cream is very much at the premium end of the market," said Robert Moore, Brymor managing director. "It has a 10pc butterfat content. It's rich and solid, but producing the whole milk you need for such ice cream is demanding.

"You need healthy, well-nourished cows to produce milk with a high butterfat and protein content, so the right nutrition is crucial."

Mr Moore said they were extremely pleased with the results obtained with I'Ansons feed. "We've lifted the milk yield but we've kept the quality too," he said. "So often, when you increase yield you lose quality."

Mr Every said the feed company was pleased to have been able to help Brymor. "This shows the real results which can be obtained from attention to the nutritional requirements of farm animals," he said.

Brymor was founded 19 years ago by dairy farmer Brian Moore, Robert's father, who moved into ice cream production after the introduction of EU milk quotas. Business quickly boomed and today it enjoys an annual turnover of almost £1m and is expanding at the rate of 5pc a year.

The dairy herd's entire yield is used to blend Brymor's dairy delights during the peak summer months.