10/08/2009
An enterprising Ribble Valley licensee has devised a winning recipe to beat the credit crunch and keep his customers refreshingly cool through the summer months. David Wardleworth, the head chef and licensee of The Traders Arms in Mellor, Lancashire, has produced a new beer flavoured ice-cream using Thwaites Original cask ale.
The Traders Arms makes all their own ice-cream and regularly experiment with different flavour combinations. Last year, in celebration of the festive season, the pub made a batch with Daniel Thwaites seasonal ale, Good ‘Elf. It went down so well with regulars that they then decided to make another based on Thwaites Original, which has proved so popular, that regulars are now asking for batches to take away to enjoy at home.
David, who has been the licensee at The Traders for two years, believes his signature dessert is helping The Traders to get a name for its food. He comments: “These are difficult times for all in the pub industry and the competition for diners has never been fiercer. Licensees like me have to be creative with ideas if we want to appeal to new customers. The novel idea for the Thwaites Original ice-cream came about during a special tasting session with regulars. The flavour proved such a smash hit, it now has customers flocking to the pub in droves to try it.”
Lee Williams, Marketing Manager at Daniel Thwaites comments: “We were delighted when we heard news of David’s innovative use of Thwaites Original. It’s always good to hear news of licensees being actively creative to bring in new customers. Beer is great for adding depth of flavour to dishes and this lovely seasonal idea would make a great addition to any menu alongside pub favourites such as Lancaster Bomber Hot Pot”.