Brexit has been on the tip of tongues for quite some time now and with the Brexit white paper details coming to light today; it is quite liberating to see Kent’s own luxury ice cream producer, Simply Ice Cream, planning to expand as sales figures show a huge 20% increase in turnover.

Launched in 2008, when owner and founder, Sally Newall who had been running a catering company for some years, decided to move away from full time catering, and into ice cream production due to the incredible feedback on her ice cream. Since this time, Simply Ice Cream has gone from strength to strength. The range is now available nationwide in over 500 outlets, including Waitrose, Ocado and Coop stores around the country.

The range is produced using locally sourced ingredients, in the old-fashioned way – by hand in small batches. The superior quality and flavour of Simply Ice Cream has been officially recognised and it is a multi-award winning range.

Founder of Simple Ice Cream Sally says, “From a British SME manufacturing point of view we are actually looking forward to the Brexit implementation. We believe there will be so many more opportunities as buyers focus on UK producers and away from the import market.”

With the details of the Brexit white paper still quit fresh, it would be a great idea to ramp up production in the UK. To kickstart the business Sally and her husband Robin, were making ice cream late into the night after their four children, had gone to bed. In 2006, they were approached by Waitrose supermarket, to supply her ice cream in their store, but Sally felt the product was not ready and turned down the offer.

A year later, the couple added an extension to their home to create a 'factory' to make the ice cream. The range of 20 flavours, all with natural ingredients, is now stocked in 40 Waitrose stores and 220 outlets, including farm shops in the South-East.

Newall further leads on to say, “We are planning to expand the company at our current location near Ashford in Kent. We are increasing storage capabilities, and in the spring will look at staffing as we will then be in a position to be able to double our production by adding in a second shift pattern. We will be able to increase production without jeopardising the genuine handmade integrity of our artisanal product range. We have manoeuvred the company into this position due to the increased demand nationwide as well as own label and export.”

Another phenomenal year for Simply Ice Cream shows accolades at December 2016 comprising of:

A highly coveted 3star GTA award for its new Coffee flavour
Supplying 98 Co-operative stores across the south east – a completely new listing;
Now available nationwide including multiple outlets in Scotland, Wales and Ireland;
Now supplying UK wide Heavenly Honeycomb crunch and Vanilla ice creams, via Waitrose and Ocado;