Taste Waterford met recently with our latest member – Freezin’ Friesian. I visited their base just outside Kilmacthomas and got an insight into what makes a genuinely delicious ice cream, and their back story leading to launching their successful brand.
It was a summer’s day when I arrived at Ballyhussa Farm. Approached by an impressive long drive with an avenue of trees – it sets the tone for this luxurious, artisan maker.
The venture is very much a family affair, with three brothers driving the business – David, Ivan and Tom Kiersey, along with their brother-in-law Neil Magee.
The family link doesn’t stop there – David explained: “Our mum is a retired home economics teacher, and growing up surrounded by home cooking and baking, bred into us quality ingredients and recipes – and it’s the ice cream recipe we knew in childhood that is the starting point for Freezin’ Friesian.”
It wasn’t until 2017 that the brothers thought about starting an ice cream business – a natural progression from seventh-generation dairy farming.
They initially started out at food markets, establishing their brand and trying different flavours.
Having quickly impressed customers and businesses alike, they now supply to retail, hotels and restaurants, along with a growing presence at key events where they sell ice cream in a stylishly converted horse box.
So what makes their ice cream taste so good?
Whilst the business is built on tradition and heritage, they also cleverly use technology to ensure quality from farm to spoon. Ivan explained: “Our cows are milked passing through a robotic system. This means they can be milked when they like, rather than restricted to a time. This minimises their stress and makes for a better base ingredient.”
And a higher butter fat content and quality egg yolks all ensure their ice cream has a rich, creaminess.
Customers can enjoy a variety of flavours including Bourbon Vanilla, Brownie and Honeycomb, Sea Salt and Caramel, and Lemon Curd and Meringue.
Freezin’ Friesian also use seasonal ingredients to introduce different flavours throughout the year – Blackberry and Shortbread is just one example. And if they don’t make additional ingredients themselves, they’ll source locally.
This use of trying different ingredients is also winning praise from top chefs.
Tom said: “Chefs look to work with us develop new tastes and menus for customers. So we can create ice creams using varying ingredients guided by the chef to offer unique dining experiences.”
It’s this professional attitude to developing a quality product that has led the team to receive high acclaim. Already award-winners, they recently scooped another top accolade at the Clonmel show in the diary category.
So what’s next for this luxurious ice cream brand? David said: “Along with growing the customer base, we love collaborating with other producers and hospitality – it drives the quality of our product and makes for a truly unique and delicious product.”
For further information: https://www.freezinfriesian.ie/
