THINGS are lickin’ good for Leslie Buxton and Yorvale, her dairy ice cream factory in Acaster Malbis.

It was 21 years ago that Lesley, and her husband, Ian, exploited a gap in the market for real dairy ice cream made from premium local ingredients.

Today it has grown into a £750,000 turnover business with 16 employees based at the couple’s Fossfield Farm and with a projected £1.5 million in sales by 2014, is a worthy candidate for both Small Business Of The Year, and Women In Enterprise titles.

Ice cream was a happy diversification after they acquired the tenancy of an 80- acre dairy unit from North Yorkshire County Council.

in 1984, milk quotas had almost rendered investment in dairy cattle unviable.

Having launched Yorvale in 1989, sales grew to such an extent that they could buy the farm from the county council.

By 2004, they sold all but 12 of their family herd and concentrated on ice cream production.

Even as Lesley met the challenge of raising two children while touring around Yorkshire in ice cream vans, she planned a bespoke factory that was eventually to be built by Ian and his father.

Today, the children are grown up, and the business supplies local attractions, farm shops, delis and independent retailers. It also enjoys regional listings with Booths, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Co-Op and Tesco.

It also reaches a loyal base of hotel and catering customers through a network of nationwide food service distributors. It recently extended its contract with Saga Cruise Ships.