Beechdean Dairies was established by Andrew and Susie Howard, who met when they were at the University of Nottingham reading agriculture. In 1989, Andrew and Susie joined the dairy farm on which Susie’s family had been producing top quality milk for 45 years. Searching for ways of adding value to the business, they attended a one-day ice cream course which inspired them to invest in a small ice cream machine and a van. With Susie making the ice cream and Andrew making the deliveries, local customers in Buckinghamshire were treated to their first taste of Beechdean Farmhouse Dairy Ice Cream.

The goal was uncompromising: to create and establish a luxury brand of traditional English dairy ice cream which would be second to none. The response to the Beechdean product was so enthusiastic that, within thirteen years, Beechdean Dairies has grown from a capacity of 5000 litres per annum to a cool 2.5 million litres of ice cream a year – a huge achievement for a company of its size.

All production of Beechdean’s prestigious Farmhouse Dairy Ice Cream is still carried out on the family’s 600-acre dairy farm in the Chiltern Hills Area of outstanding natural beauty. The rich Jersey milk used to make the dairy ice cream is produced on the farm by Beechdean’s own pedigree Jersey herd. As Beechdean’s Managing Director, Andrew Howard oversees all aspects of ice cream production and marketing while his brother-in-law runs the farm. The Jersey herd is pampered and managed to produce a year-round supply of fresh milk with a high cream content, required to meet the ever-growing demand for Beechdean from prestigious clients in England and abroad.

It is estimated that, every year, some twelve million people enjoy the taste of Beechdean Farmhouse Dairy Ice Cream at high profile venues where only the best will do. These include Buckingham Palace Garden Parties; stately homes such as Blenheim Palace or Chatsworth Farm Shop; leading theatres including The Royal Albert Hall; airline and shipping companies; quality restaurants and selected specialist retail outlets.