Tayberries, grown and picked in Fife, are being transformed into a delicious, seasonal ice-cream.
The berries, which are a cross between a raspberry and a bramble, have been grown at the family-run Pittormie Fruit Farm in Dairsie. The ice-cream, which has been developed and created by Jannettas Gelateria in St Andrews, is thought to be the only one commercially available in Scotland and will be sold within Pittormie Fruit Farm’s shop and Jannettas itself.
Originally cultivated in Dundee, the tayberry originates from the former Scottish Crop Research Institute, near Dundee.
Pittormie’s tayberries, which are only available for around seven weeks, are also sold to the Williams Brothers brewery in Alloa, where they form the basis of a delicious Tayberry beer, ‘Roisin’.
Euan Cameron of Pittormie Fruit Farm commented, “Everything we do is driven by ‘keeping it local’, growing and selling our own fruit and local produce which is either made with our fruit, or connected to the farm in some way. We also avoid poly tunnels, exposing our fruits to the elements, and focusing on entirely natural processes. We’re absolutely delighted that Jannettas are using our tayberries to create a truly local ice-cream to enjoy over the summer months. Tayberries have a subtle perfume, and the ice-cream is absolutely delicious!”
As members of the Food for Fife network of food producers and retailers, Jannettas Gelateria, a fourth generation family business, ensures that is products are locally sourced and Fife-grown where possible, recognised by their success in the Food and Drink category of the Fife Business Awards 2016.
Co-owner Owen Hazel commented, “Having been rooted in Fife for over 100 years, we love nothing more than collaborating with other Fife food businesses and firmly believe that Fife has a tremendous amount to offer when it comes to growing and creating the very best of food and drink produce in Scotland. With Pittormie just down the road, it makes sense on many levels to use their delicious berries to create something unique for our, and their customers.”
Pittormie Fruit Farm is a small intensive family run farm situated in the heart of North East Fife. Its aim is to produce quality fresh food which has real flavour, keeping the use of chemicals to an absolute minimum. Its farm shop is stocked with fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, free-range eggs, fruit beers and wines and Pittormie’s own range of jams, jellies, marmalade, chutney and lemon curd.