Making Artisan Ice Cream at The Ice Cream Farm

The Cheshire Farm's Ice Cream Farm is a wonderful attraction in the heart of the Cheshire countryside.  It is free to enter and an excellent day out for families.  Over the years, the farm has expanded and developed from a simple dairy farm to a brilliant tourist attraction for all ages.  You can come to meet the animals, such as the miniature ponies, alpacas, rabbits and pigs, watch the cows being milked and sample the delicious ice cream freshly made on site.

It also boasts Quad Bikes, Mini Golf, Adventure Playgrounds, Indoor Soft Play area, Gold Panning, a cafe, gift shop and a Games Loft, so it has something to please everyone. (Some activities are chargeable such as £1 for the quads and golf, £2.50 for 30 minutes unlimited play in the games loft and £3.50 for Crazy Daisy's Fun Factory soft play.  It is the farm's policy to provide top of the range activities at very reasonable prices.)  Kids can have parties at the Ice Cream Farm in one of the amazing themed party rooms, the Ice Cave or in The Loft.  It is a fantastic venue!

The Ice Cream parlour serves up tubs or cones of their delicious Cheshire Farm ice cream in over fifty different varieties from traditional Vanilla, to the very British Strawberries and Cream to the unique Blackcurrant and Liquorice.  My favourite is a scoop of Mocha and of Salted Caramel in a double waffle cone. Yum!

The newest attraction on the farm allows visitors to see the ice cream production process in action from the viewing gallery.  You can even make your own bespoke ice cream in the amazing Artisan Room.  We were invited for a tour of the farm and had the opportunity to have a go at making our very own ice cream using an ingenious Cattabriga machine which churns and freezes the ice cream.  The freshly churned top quality  ice cream base can be flavoured with a combination of flavours, fruits, sauces, toppings and other additions such as chocolate beans, marshmallows or biscuit crumb.  The polystyrene tub of ice cream is then blast frozen in a freezer and is ready to take home in half an hour.  The packaging keeps it in perfect condition for the journey home.

We made a fruity peach and raspberry ice cream which is absolutely stunning!  Making the ice cream is an experience in itself.  It is really fun to do and the freedom to make your very own combination of flavourings means you can make an ice cream to perfectly match any meal.  I love the idea of having a special dinner and finishing it of with a specially made ice cream that I have designed and made myself!!  It costs £10 to create and make one tub of ice cream, £15 for two, which I think is an excellent price for doing something so cool using top quality ingredients!  Children can get involved as they are supervised and assisted by a member of staff who will help them scoop the base into the tub and mix in the flavourings. Pre-booking is required.

For parents wanting a healthier,lower fat treat for their children or for those who avoid dairy products, the Cheshire Farm Ice Cream Farm have perfected an amazing frozen fruit treat, the Frozen Fruit Smoothie. Made using real fruit pulps they are churned to create an ice cream like consistency which is smooth and creamy.  The individual pots come with a spoon under the lid so they can be enjoyed straight from the tub.  We sampled a Triple Berry and a Tropical flavour Frozen Fruit Smoothie and they were delicious, intensely fruity and flavoursome. The ingredients list consists of lots of real fruit purees with a little added stabiliser to create the desired, scoopable texture.  It really is a healthy treat!

The Cheshire Farm Ice Cream Farm really is an excellent family day out with free admission and with some amazing extra activities which won't cost the earth.  It is clearly signposted from the A41 Chester/Whitchurch road and is open every day except for Christmas, Boxing day and New Year's Day.

Take a look at the website for further details:

www.cheshirefarmicecream.co.uk

Blogs Up North at The MOSI

As a family, we almost think of Manchester as our second home.  It's where my daughter has settled after graduating from university and is our nearest accessible big city being just over an hour away from our rural Shropshire home.  I am always impressed by just how much there is to do there, and last weekend we got to experience the MOSI on a bloggers' family day out with Blogs Up North.

The Museum of Science and Industry is an impressive series of buildings combining the old with the new.  Comprising of a series of galleries, it showcases the scientific discoveries and industrial innovations that Manchester has brought the world.

We met up in one of the conference rooms for coffee, cookies and an introduction to the museum.  We were visited by Forgetful Fireman Fred a costumed character who we would later see performing in the Power Hall, as he told the children about the workings of a steam engine.  My Freddy really liked his namesake, who did some removable thumb tricks for him!

The museum consists of five main buildings: The Great Western Warehouse, the 1830 Warehouse, Power Hall, Station Building and the Air & Space Hall.  Each houses a host of exhibitions, some temporary, most permanent.  There is also a wonderful steam train that runs on selected weekends and holidays on site which you can ride for a small fee.  We were lucky enough to have a ride on the train and Freddy loved feeling the wind in his hair as the train chuffed down the track, giving us a great view of all the surrounding buildings.

Experiment! is the hands on interactive zone where children can learn all about science by playing with the exhibits.  Exploring magnetism, light, sound, shapes, liquids, temperature and electricity proved a lot of fun for everyone, kids and adults alike.  

We also had our photograph taken to appear up on big screens in a huge digital sculpture which is part of the Revolution Manchester Gallery.  You get a bar code card that allows you to register and log in from home to access a series of games and challenges online, keeping the MOSI experience alive.

There is so much to see and do at MOSI.  It is all very family friendly with a focus on fun.  There is a coffee shop, picnic area, gift shop and restaurant on site.  There is also a 4D theatre and a motion simulator, Morphis (charges apply).

MOSI is open from 10am-5pm and has onsite parking (chargeable).  

Entry is free but a £3 donation is suggested to help maintain and preserve the historic site.

Find out more at www.mosi.org.uk

A Day Out in Salford Quays

Last week we were invited to visit Salford Quays in Manchester to explore some of the attractions that make this such a great venue for a family day out.  We had a very hectic schedule with visits to Ordsall Hall, the BBC, The Lowry and Old Trafford.  In typical Manchester style, the weather was miserable, wet and windy, but it didn't spoil our enthusiasm for a fabulous day out.

Ordshall Hall

Hidden in the heart of Manchester stands this Elizabethan manor house which is beautifully preserved and lovingly restored to showcase its former glory.  We were given a private tour where we got to see the bedrooms, the kitchen, the servant's quarters and many original features, some dating back to the 1600's.  There was a lot of interactive elements to the tour.  We got to try on some old armour and experience some of the techniques that would have been used in an Elizabethan kitchen.  We even learned about the ghosts that are said to haunt the manor.  A room full of interactive games and activities was a big hit with the children who enjoyed getting hands on with history.  Freddy was really excited walking around the building and trying out things such as turning a spit roast and grinding spices.  He was enjoying being a little historian and discovering the story of Ordsall Hall.  Ordsall Hall has a lovely little coffee shop where we enjoyed a coffee and a cake!

http://www.salford.gov.uk/ordsallhall.htm

BBC Studio Tours

The BBC have relocated many of their operations to Media City in Salford Quays. The BBC offer tours where you can get to take a peek behind the scenes and even have a go at presenting!  Kizzy and I went on an Interactive CBBC Tour for kids aged 6 and over.  We had a guided tour across the buildings where we saw the Blue Peter studio, a radio drama sound stage and various props from BBC programmes.  Kizzy had a go at presenting Newsround, reading the weather and being a CBBC presenter.  She also got to take part in a diddy Dick and Dom play.  She loved seeing herself on a TV screen and using the autocue machines.  It was really interesting to go behind the scenes and we were able to take a look into the BBC Sports studio where everyone was hard at work.  It is a fascinating place and we loved the hands on experience.  Kizzy really enjoyed feeling like a TV presenter and was fascinated by the technology used such as the green screens.  She was also very interested to find out about the use of widescreen cameras to make the tiny Blue Peter studio look really impressive onscreen!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/tours/salford_cbbc.shtml

The Lowry

The Lowry is an arts and entertainment complex set in a stunning waterside location.  There is a lot for families to do including theatre shows, activities and art galleries.  There are also plenty of temporary exhibits to enjoy such as the National Portrait Gallery Comedians exhibition.  We stopped there for lunch followed by a guided tour of the Lowry Collection.  Kizzy was enthralled by the 'What's in a Picture?' session where she was guided through the process of 'reading' one of Lowry's works.  The insight into his life, his work and  his personality was really interesting.  Unfortunately we were really pushed for time and had to dash off, but the Lowry is definitely somewhere I want to explore at my leisure.  It is free to enter and many talks and activities are available which help bring the collection to life.  There are also creative workshops for young children to enjoy.  Kids can borrow a rucksack filled with games, puzzles and activities designed to take them on an adventure as they explore the art on display in the magnificent building.  It is a really family friendly venue with easy access, changing facilities and with kids well catered for in the cafe.  There are some really good shows coming to the theatre next year including Horrible Histories and Sleeping Beauty On Ice.

http://www.thelowry.com/

Old Trafford Museum and Tour

Across the water from the Lowry stands the football stadium of Manchester United.  We had a 15 minute walk through torrential rain to get there but we soon warmed up when inside.  The stadium has a museum and holds guided tours.  We had a walk around the three floors of the museums looking at memorabilia, trophies, paper cuttings and football shirts from Man Utd's history.  Freddy loved looking at and handling the exhibits that included an old leather stitched ball and steel toe-capped football boot.  There was a really moving tribute to the Busby Babes who were involved in a plane crash in Munich which killed some of the team's most promising players.  The tour lasts an hour and takes you around the stadium, the changing rooms, the player's lounge, the tunnel and the stands.  Unfortunately, Freddy needed a wee half way round and we had to cut the tour short to find the toilets!  We made our way back to the Mega Store which sold loads of Man Utd merchandise.  Fans will love this experience.  It was very interesting, especially seeing the pitch in all its glory, but it is probably more suited for older children.

http://www.manutd.com/en/Visit-Old-Trafford.aspx


We finished our trip with a visit to the Lowry Outlet which is a shopping mall on Salford Quays.  It has loads of shops and restaurants and we enjoyed a hot chocolate at Costa before heading back home, exhausted after our family day out at Salford Quays.