Who says you can’t make the best quality ice cream in the country using a continuous freezer? Certainly not David Equi, of Equi’s Ice Cream, who has claimed both the company’s 3rd National Ice Cream Champion of Champions award and the Best of Vanilla award at the 2020 ICA National Ice Cream Competition – for product made on his ROKK RFE600 continuous freezer.

David, who bought his ROKK five years ago, is also the current reigning champion of the Scottish awards, and puts the success of their family-run business down to passion and a refusal to compromise – on anything:

“The first thing I was taught to do was to make ice cream and my ambition was always to win awards,” says David.  

“Equi’s was started by my great grandfather, Pietro, in 1914, through home-sickness for the great ice cream of Italy and we have carried his legacy through the generations.  We treasure all of the awards we have received over the years, but these are the ultimate accolade, as they are judged by experts and our peers.

“At Equi’s, we are always trying to make things better. We source only the best ingredients for our ice cream, made using the best equipment, that’s supported by a really strong service and maintenance programme.  

“Whilst we do use batch machines as well, I find I get the highest possible quality product with my ROKK continuous freezer because it freezes instantly and produces consistently smooth ice cream throughout the run.

“Setting the machine up right is the most critical first step and the ROKK is both sophisticated enough to allow me to adjust it to my specific needs, but also not overly complicated.  When you combine this with the high level of expertise and customer service provided by Machinery World, it leaves me free to concentrate on the all-important sourcing and combining of the finest ingredients.”

David is joined on the winner’s rostrum by Luciano Di Meo of Di Meo’s Ice Cream, Whitley Bay, also a family-run business, and now in their fifth generation of supplying locals with the best Gelato and Pizzas in the area.  Luciano won the Best Flavour Award for his delicious Pistachio Crunch, which was made using his Cattabriga Multifreeze Pro 18, bought from Machinery World just last year.

Following a fact finding trip to the Cattabriga factory in Bologna in 2017, and an introduction to the Cattabriga Multifreeze Pro 18 at the Longarone ice cream show in Italy the following year, Luciano and his father were later introduced to the UK agents for Cattabriga, Machinery World, at the Harrogate Expo in 2019 – and bought their new machine on the spot. 

“When in Italy we were impressed with the passion and expertise of the senior technicians at the factory – and all this know-how and enthusiasm has been poured into the machine design,” says Luciano.  “It is built by – and for – ice cream perfectionists: it is so flexible, producing batches from 3 litres to 18 litres, is belt driven, which is essential in my view, and has a metal blade option, for superior mixing.  I can also design my own programmes, which means I have full control of how each and every batch feels and tastes.”

It is this hands-on and passionate approach which has not only won the Di Meo family their latest in a long list of awards, but also given them confidence in the after sales support offered by Machinery World’s technicians:

“The Machinery World team know I like getting my hands dirty,” says Luciano, “so it’s reassuring to know that if I should ever need to fix the machine, they can offer advice over the phone and source most parts immediately, which will reduce both costs and downtime.”  

The service, sales and support teams at Machinery World, another family-run business, are delighted with the competition results:

“We would like to offer our sincere congratulations to not only David and Luciano for their tremendous accolades, but also to the many other Machinery World customers who made it onto this year’s honours list,” says Paul Crowter, Managing Director of Machinery World. 

“We are immensely proud to have supplied both the machines and on-going servicing support to the country’s official top ice cream producers.  We look forward to continuing to support them and our many other customers – and who knows, maybe next year will be another clean sweep for Machinery World clients!”

READ THE FULL ICA ARTICLE HERE

ROKK alongside Machinery World will be exhibiting at The Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show,11^th -13^th February 2020 at the Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate – and we would love to see you there.

In addition to seeing all our latest products you could win £250!

Visitor registration is now open – and the show organiser, the Ice Cream Alliance, is offering one lucky visitor the chance to win a £250 cash prize. To enter, register your details at www.ice-cream.org (follow the links), correctly answer the question AND attend the Show on one of the three days it is open – it is free to all the trade.  The lucky winner will be announced by 29^th February 2020.

There will be plenty to interest all sectors of the ice cream industry – food retailers, ice cream parlours, cafés, restaurants, hotels and pubs, manufacturers, and mobilers.

We have been organising The Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show for 70 years, comments the Ice Cream Alliance CEO Zelica Carr.

This year we really do have a range of new and exciting exhibitors from both the UK and abroad. It promises to be a feast of new and creative ideas which should give our industry a fantastic start to 2020.

The UK ice cream sector is booming. It is now worth over £1.4 billion per year and is still growing. The number of Ice Cream Parlours alone are increasing by 20% per year – and are one of the few growth sectors on the UK High Street.

We may think that people don’t like eating ice cream in the winter months or at Christmas, however we all love to have ice cream as an accompaniment to our Christmas Pudding or Mince Pies and now there are some amazing ice creams flavours that can be eaten on their own or with another dessert.

So if you thought ice cream was strictly for summer, think again, our creative ice cream makers from across the UK are creating delicious and indulgent ice cream with seasonal twists, giving your normal Christmas desserts a run for their money.

Without a doubt, rich, creamy, smooth ice cream is a wonderful thing to have as a dessert in even the coldest weather and is a must at Christmas time and if you want some inspiration or to try something new then this Christmas Cake Ice Cream recipe is for you.

Christmas Cake Ice Cream Recipe

If you make a Christmas cake every year then you will have started your mixture and the soaking of your fruits about now. It takes forever, however, a lot of people still love the process of making a Christmas Cake each year. Once you’ve made your Christmas Cake you then have the job of icing it and making it look pretty. Did you know there is a Christmas Cake Ice cream that takes away all the preparation time and hours of hard work of making an actual Christmas Cake and you can whip it together in just over an hour? The Christmas Cake Ice Cream gives you the delicious taste of a Christmas Cake in a cool, smooth, sweet creamy texture. Try it on its own or as an accompaniment to another dessert, you never know it may become your favourite flavour and not just at Christmas.

Ingredients

375ml whole milk
100g soft brown light sugar
3 egg yolks
185ml heavy whipping cream (36% fat)
1tbsp brandy
175g Christmas cake, diced

Method

1. Combine the milk and half the sugar in a (not aluminium) pan and bring to just below boiling point. Remove from the heat, cover and leave aside. In a heatproof bowl, combine the yolks with the remaining sugar and beat until pale and thick. Bring the milk back to boiling point, then pour it slowly in a thin stream on to the egg yolks and sugar, whisking steadily as you go.
2. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir frequently using a non-metallic spoon. As it heats over the water, the custard will thicken. This can take anything from 5-30 minutes. On no account let it overheat or boil as it will curdle.
3. As soon as the custard has thickened sufficiently, remove the pan from the heat and plunge the base into a few inches of cold water. Leave to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge. When it is cold, stir the chilled cream into the custard and add the brandy.
4. To still-freeze, pour into a strong polypropylene container and cover and put in the freezer. Check after about an hour that the mixture has a firm ring of ice around the sides and base and a soft slush in the centre. Then either beat for a few seconds with a hand beater or quickly process in a food processor until it has formed a uniform slush, and return back to the freezer. Repeat this process at least twice at intervals of 60-90 minutes. After the third beating, the ice will need freezing for a further 30-60 minutes.
5. When it’s ready, sprinkle on the diced cake and stir or churn briefly to ensure even distribution. Serve within 1 hour if frozen solid; allow 30 minutes in the fridge to soften sufficiently before serving.

(Ingredients and Recipe sourced from the Independent)

Machinery World are now the exclusive UK distributors for Uzermak dairy processing machinery.

Uzermak was founded 20 years ago in Izmir, Turkey and is one of the leading machine manufacturers for processing machinery and production lines.

Main products include; Process cheese machinery, kashkaval & mozzarella processing lines, pasta filata processing lines, cream cheese processing machines, mayonnaise & ketchup processing machines, cheese vats, filter drums, cooker & cooler & mixer machines, feta cut mechanical homogenisers, moulding machines, stretching machines, trolleys, centrifugal pumps, lobe pumps, curd feeding conveyors & filters, falling film evaporators, storage tanks, cip tank & units, cooking vats and perforated vats.

See all of our new Uzermak dairy processing machinery here

Machinery World is always looking to expand on the stock it owns and has buyers constantly traveling the globe in search of more good-quality used dairy and food processing machinery, from single machines to complete process plants.

We are experts in evaluating dairy processing machinery, we act quickly and will offer you the best possible prices for your equipment backed up with fast payment anywhere in the world.

Machinery World also offers a full ‘World Wide’ removal and transport service from your site. This service includes full insurance and completion of all the necessary paperwork.

If you have used quality dairy processing equipment to sell, you can email your info to us, request a call back or submit details and photos here.

We buy all brands of dairy and food processing equipment including Alfa Laval, APV, Benhill, GEA, Technogel, Tetra Pak, Cattabriga, Promag, ROKK, Tecnofreeze, Carpigiani, Gram, Seital SPX, Stephan, Mark and Simon Freres.

Frederick’s Ice Cream of Chorley, Lancashire has been making delicious ice cream to a traditional Italian family recipe for over 100 years – but the company has recently added a new ingredient or two to their mix.

The Federici family, now in their fourth generation of ice cream expertise, have invested in their brand new Cattabriga Multifreeze 18 Pro Batch Freezer and ROKK RIF1500 ingredients feeder, and are already noticing the difference.

“We chose these two machines from Machinery World’s wide range because they are not only reliable but also extremely energy efficient, which is very important to us,” explains Donna Townson, a third generation Federici who runs the business with her parents Tony and Liz, brother Louis and sister Roseanne, “but they are also so versatile and easy to use, enabling us to add ingredients in a whole range of different ways”.

Another unexpected benefit was the texture of the ice cream, as Louis, who runs the production side of the business, explains:

Cattabriga are the Ferrari of batch freezers, so we knew the technology would be top of the range and give us so much production flexibility and thus efficiency,” he says, “but we were surprised – and delighted – with how much smoother the ice cream is – it’s the perfect texture for our range of luxury ice creams”.
There certainly is a range to be proud of: Frederick’s have over 100 delicious handmade flavours in stock at any time, and more than 200 recipes to choose from, each made using a blend of the highest quality natural ingredients combined with Italian passion and expertise.

The ROKK ingredients feeder enables the family to add inclusions such as honeycomb, Oreo cookie pieces, chocolate chips and fruit preparations to the ice cream as it comes out of the continuous freezer, which is invaluable for their wholesale customers as Donna explains:

“Many of our hotel, garden centre, restaurant, dessert bar and even wedding customers like to offer bespoke flavours, designed perhaps to complement a specific menu, season or celebration. Our new equipment – and on-site labelling facilities – mean we can produce small, high quality batches quickly and efficiently.”

So is the relationship with Machinery World another new recipe for Frederick’s?

“Not at all,” laughs Donna: “Machinery World are a tried and tested part of our history, just like our ingredients”.

The relationship began about six years ago, when they traded in two small machines for a second-hand continuous freezer which had been refurbished to the highest standard by Machinery World’s in-house expert engineers. The team continue to service the machine, ensuring it never misses a beat.

“We love working with Machinery World,” says Donna. “They really understand our business and are extremely knowledgeable, with superb after sales service. They are also hugely versatile: we were able to trade-in one of our older machines, which made it possible for us to afford the new, top of the class machinery we really wanted”.

Whilst the two latest additions to the Frederick’s mix feature the latest technology, it is the way in which the family combine traditional recipes, luxury ingredients and age old ice cream expertise with the use of modern machinery that the fourth Federici generation, Emma and Amy are learning, ensuring every lick will continue to taste unbelievably delicious for years to come.