Ice cream firm moves into new £2.4m home (From Hampshire Chronicle)

New Forest Ice Cream moves to new £2.4m factory in Lymington

1:30pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Hampshire Business By Matt Smith, Politics and business reporter

An artist's impression of the new HQ for New Forest Ice Cream, in Lymington.

New Forest Ice Cream has moved into new offices in a £2.4m new factory development set to “significantly increase” its manufacturing operation when it opens later this year.

The iconic family business, which employs around 40 staff, has switched to the Ampress Business Park in Lymington where a 20,000 square feet, purpose-built factory is being built with three new production lines.

Director Niki Jenman said: “The need to bring together all areas of our business has never been greater than it is right now with our range ever expanding to cater for local demand and our national accounts going from strength to strength.

“It makes so much sense for us to invest in the offices and production being in one place and these logistical improvements will not only make us more environmentally-friendly but will add real value to our offering which we are hoping we can pass onto our customers.”

Family-run New Forest Ice Cream was founded in 1983, and has quickly grown to become a leading luxury ice cream producer, using British milk produced by Jersey cows to create its range.

Production had previously been constrained by the business operating two different sites 15 miles apart.

A previous proposal to open a factory on greenbelt land beside Gorldeton Industrial Park, Pennington, was rejected by New Forest District Council in 2008.