Drive up the North Cornwall coast and the landscape is dominated by pastureland grazed by dairy cows, and some cereal growing. It is a reminder of why this part of Cornwall is so well suited to grass and milk production. Not far from Boscastle is Helsett Farm Ice cream, described as a small, mother and daughter run operation that produces homemade, old-fashioned ice cream. Sarah Talbot-Ponsonby started making ice cream on the farm in 1985 in a response to the crisis caused by the introduction of the EU milk quotas, which limited the amount of milk each dairy farmer could produce and sell, but fortunately from which ice cream production was notably absent. Many despairing milk producers, in Cornwall and elsewhere, saw this as their salvation. Helsett Farm, Callestick Farm (near Truro) and Roskilly’s were among those who set up as a direct result of that intervention.

The Helsett Farm cows are pedigree Ayrshires, producing a golden, slightly creamy, organic milk, some of which goes into the ice cream, some to Sue Proudfoot in nearby Marhamchurch for cheese-making, and some into other dairy products.

In 2003, not content with producing a range of exotically flavoured, old-fashioned ice cream, handmade in small batches using the best, natural ingredients, Sarah Talbot-Ponsonby and her daughter Elia Allen switched to making organic ice cream. This needed months of new research and work with food technologists, as organic ice cream should not contain emulsifiers, stabilizers or any other artificial additives - the ingredients that help create a smooth texture and the slightly oily feel in the mouth that we associate with almost all mass-produced ice creams.

Helsett Farm organic ice cream contains only whole milk, raw cane sugar, clotted cream, skimmed milk powder and egg yolks; the texture may be slightly denser and grainier, but the taste is sensationally good. Flavours range from vanilla to star anise, and rose, cardamom and almond. Uncluttered with artificial additives, they are allowed to speak for themselves.