Marshfield Farm Ice Cream in the UK has developed Acres, a new range developed specifically for chefs, with a focus on performance and flavour balance for professional kitchens. Flo Baldwin is one of the founders of Acres, which is building on the three generations of ice cream making by Marshfield for the modern foodservice sector. She spoke with Dairy Industries International about how ice cream can be a complement for chef creations.

Q. What trends are occurring in foodservice and restaurants that Marshfield is supplying?

Due to the cost-of-living crisis, people are choosing to go out less, but when they do, they are making a real occasion of it. We are seeing a swing back towards provenance-led ingredients and “Best of British.” Consumers want to know the story behind what’s on their plate, and chefs are increasingly eager to tell it.

Alongside this, our foodservice customers are placing greater importance on sustainability, seeking out suppliers with strong environmental credentials, such as B Corp certification, and a transparent approach to carbon footprinting.

Q. Why did you move into that segment with the new products? 

We realised that much of the foodservice market was saturated with ice cream designed for scooping parlours, with products that were meant to be the “star of the show.” The impetus for Acres was the realisation that chefs needed an ingredient, not just a dessert. We saw a gap for a range that functions exceptionally well in the back-of-house, complementing the complex desserts chefs have crafted, rather than overpowering them with too much sweetness or air.

Q. How has the dairy farming business been over the past few years?

Having invested in the farming business extensively last year, we have moved to robotic milking, which has been a huge success. This has allowed us to significantly increase cow welfare by letting the herd choose their own rhythm. It also gives us incredible data and control over the milk quality. Being “control freaks” from the soil up means we can guarantee the consistency that professional kitchens demand.

Q. What is the biggest challenge you face right now?

The “performance versus purity” balance. In a busy kitchen, ice cream needs to hold its shape and offer a bit of “working time” on a hot plate without collapsing. Our challenge is achieving that robust professional performance while maintaining our commitment to fresh farm milk and natural ingredients. We refuse to use the “easy” artificial stabilisers that strip away the soul of the product.

Q. Where do you see the dairy business going, from farm to fork?

Milk continues to be an amazing functional food, and we feel a strong swing back toward transparent supply chains. The future is “farm-to-fork” in its truest sense, where the producer and the end-chef are directly connected. We see a move toward more regenerative practices where the quality of the soil and the welfare of the cow are just as important to the chef as the flavour of the final scoop.

Q. What do you think is your greatest achievement so far? 

Creating a product that earns the trust of a professional chef. There is no tougher critic than a chef under pressure during a Friday night service. Developing a range that they view as a dependable tool in their kit, one that reflects the hard work they’ve put into their own plates, is incredibly rewarding.

Q. What does a typical day look like for you?

No day is the same here. We might be inviting customers to the farm to show them our factory, where Angus (my brother and operations manager) talks stainless steel and the technical side of making ice cream, while Rory (the youngest brother) explains our regenerative farming practices. Once we have eaten all we can from our on-site parlour and waved the customers off, it’s down to emails, spreadsheets, and the occasional “spicy margarita” sample from our NPD manager. Every day, though, we must check on the chickens, as our toddler insists on it, and this is usually accompanied by a “chicken dance.” Once the chickens are sorted, dinner is served, with Tikka, our springy spaniel, often getting a starter of whatever makes its way to the floor.

Q. Outside of work, what are your hobbies/interests?

We both love cooking and trying new food-whether that is reading a new cookbook, tending the smoker on a lazy weekend, or hunting down the best local restaurants to see what other people are creating. It’s that love of the hospitality industry that fuelled the creation of Acres in the first place.

Q. What is your best-selling product?

Without sounding too boring, vanilla will always be the top seller in any range, whether it’s Marshfield Farm, Scoop’s ice cream for dogs, or our new Moment ice cream. Vanilla is a classic for a reason! However, for the Acres range, we predict our more nuanced “ingredient-style” flavours will become the essential staples for pastry sections across the country.