ICE cream makers Andrea and Mark Richards always take a keen interest in the weather forecasts - and when John Kettley predicts sunshine they know they are going to be busy.

The husband and wife team run Slater's Ice Cream in Nelson, and they are still making it the way it has been made for generations.

Slater's has been famous in Pendle for its ice cream since just after the second world war and the building in Cross Street has become part of the town's heritage. The shop is busy all year round but when the sun shines things get a bit hectic.

And while it takes a customer no more than a couple of minutes to polish off a cornet, it takes Andrea and Mark around two days to make a batch of ice cream. And that can be a problem when the sun comes out.

"We have never run out but we came close last summer," said Andrea.

"It was a record for us and we were on the go all the time just to keep up with the demand. Our machines were constantly on and we had to invest in a new piece of machinery that allows us to make double the amount we used to."

Andrea and her father Cyril Garstang took over the business from the retiring Slater family 13 years ago and husband Mark joined the firm last year. But although the names may have changed everything else has stayed the same.

Andrea said: "We still make the ice cream to exactly the same secret family recipe as it has always been made.

"I can't tell you the secret recipe, all I can say is that we don't use any artificial colours or preservatives, just milk, cream, butter and sugar that comes fresh from the farm on the day we make it.

"The only change we have made is to the machinery and last summer was so busy we had to buy a new mixer which allows us to make double the amount we could before - or else we might have run out."

The ingredients are mixed and cooked before they go into a freezer which churns the ice cream for about 24 hours.

After that it has the right taste but is still too soft - so it goes into an "aging freezer" until the texture is right. Most of the ice cream is about four days old by the time it is being scooped into a cornet.

Andrea and Mark have also started making flavoured ice cream which has proved popular with the customers - but the old fashioned vanilla still outsells everything else.

"Some of our customers have grown up with Slater's ice cream and we really enjoy being part of that tradition," said Andrea.

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