AN HONESTY box has helped a farm's growing ice-cream businesses survive the virus pandemic.

Chilly Cow ice cream set up a portable freezer and an honesty box at Stryt Faw, Llanychan, near Ruthin and the results have been impressive with as many as 150 customers a day.

Chilly Cow had its summer events programme wiped out by Covid-19.

The honesty box has acted as a 'godsend' and means that a planned expansion of the business, threatened by Covid-19, is now back on the agenda with a 20-foot container bought providing 1280 cubic feet of space for new product packaging.

Rhyl Journal:

New container from Lock Stock CSC (Container Sales Centre). Pictured: Lisa James from CSC with Anna Taylor from Chilly Cow

Anna Taylor, who set up Chilly Cow six years ago at the organic dairy farm her husband David runs with his parents, said: “The honesty box has been a real godsend because we had 33 summer events, from shows to weddings, in the diary and they’ve all been cancelled.

"It’s been amazing how it has taken off with so many people on furlough and children off school so families have been out and about.

"A small tub is just £2 and people just find a nice spot nearby to enjoy them and carry on with their walk or cycle ride.

“We never close, we’re always open and although the events were cancelled we kept on supplying local shops, butchers and farm shops and their demand also rose because people wanted to support them and I think they also felt they deserved a bit of a treat at this difficult time.

“The public have also been amazing the way they have supported us and now we’re getting busy again with the wholesale side of the business as shops and restaurants re-open.”

The new container has helped Chilly Cow gear up for growth, providing a new space for storage of their redesigned packaging instead of the cramped spare bedroom that also did duty as Anna’s office.

Chilly Cow employs two people full time. Both were furloughed at the height of the pandemic but they have now returned to work.