Luxury sorbet innovator Will embraces market demand for healthier vegan desserts

Award-winning Glastry Farm Ice Cream is expanding its successful range of luxury sorbets in line with a growth in market demand from consumers here and outside Northern Ireland for richly flavoured desserts that are also healthier in terms being both low in fat and sugar.

Led by experienced dairy farmer Will Taylor, a former president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, Glastry Farm has won a string of prestigious UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards for its gourmet ice cream flavours and sorbets which have become the preferred choice of top chefs here as well as many leading food retailers.

The small company, which is based on a pedigree dairy farm in rural county Down, near Kircubbin village and overlooking the Strangford Lough preservation area, is now among our most successful and innovative producers of luxury ice cream and sorbets. The Taylor family has been farming the area and producing milk since 1856.

The two new sorbet flavours, Acai Berry and Mango and Passionfruit, added to its existing Pear and Raspberry Ruffle sorbets are in line with market demands.

The additional sorbets have been launched as the company has been listed by supermarket chain Lidl in a promotion of its honeycomb and salted caramel and chocolate ice creams. Lidl is now an important customer of Glastry’s ice cream flavours and its sorbets

Will, Glastry Ice Cream’s managing director, led move of the farm into dairy ice cream in 2007. He explains: “Our decision to develop the new sorbets follow extensive market research by industry leader Mintel into consumer buying priorities across the UK showing strong growth in demand for desserts perceived to be healthier.

“We’ve developed our business over the years in response to market research. As a result, all our luxury and creamy sorbets are lower in fat and high in fibre. They also have the highest fruit content within the sector in the UK and Ireland and are produced using the latest food technology. The existing range has become a market leader and extremely popular in particular with leading chefs.

“We now add these to a range low sugar and low fat content sorbets. They also feature enhanced levels of antioxidants and Omega 3 for consumers increasingly aware of health concerns. The sorbets, furthermore, are suitable for vegans.”

The sorbets, he says, also boast a rich creamy texture and are, therefore, difficult to distinguish from ice cream in terms of mouthfeel.

“Acai Berry sorbet is sweet and tangy. Acai has been developed using our new sugar alternative that creates a low fat/sugar and high fibre product.

“Acai berry belongs to the superfood class, providing the sorbet with increased antioxidants and nutrients, providing the consumer with added health benefits. It has a beautiful purple colouring, which is as vibrant as its taste! It has recently won gold in the Irish Food Awards 2021. This vegan sorbet is perfect for a healthier dessert option,” Will explains.

“Bursting with sweet fresh mango flavouring combined with sharp passionfruit, this refreshing sorbet gives a tasty tropical twist on a classic sorbet.

“Mango is another superfood that provides the sorbet with high levels of antioxidants and nutrients. It is also low in fat and sugar and high in fibre.”

Bursting with sweet raspberry flavour of fresh fruit, whilst carrying a delicate pink colouring, the raspberry ruffle, he says, is “just like being in a field of fresh raspberries on a warm summers day”.

He continues that the pear sorbet “is a deliciously juicy, refreshing and sweet sorbet that has proven to be very popular for vegan customers”.

The family-owned business worked with food technicians on the Loughry campus in Cookstown at the College of Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) on the sorbets using an Innovation Voucher from business development Agency Invest NI. The voucher scheme offers around £5,000 for a company to link up with a university or further education college like CAFRE’s Food Innovation Centre for expert support and technical development of an innovative product or process. The scheme makes a huge contribution to the development of new products by local food and drink enterprises.

“The voucher was massively important and enabled us to create our original Raspberry Ruffle sorbet, work on which was carried out by CAFRE’s Dr Rosemary McKee in a wide range of areas including nutrient analysis and legal declarations to comply with current legislation,” adds Will.

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