T

he secret to delicious ice cream? Turnips. At least that’s what they’ll tell you down at Thorpe Farm, in Derbyshire. During the summer, the Marsden family’s herd of dairy cows munch their way through root vegetables by the bucketload, creating home-made ice cream that’s silky smooth.

There’s a range of delicious flavours to sample (none of which taste of turnip), each named after the family’s favourite fresians.

Try Camilla’s Vanilla (dedicated to the most stubborn of the herd), Ermintrude’s Chocolate (creamy and decidedly naughty like her namesake, who has a habit of treading on toes!) and Sophie’s Strawberry – for the cow with the creamiest milk of all.

There are quite a few to try, so you might want to book a night at one of the farm’s cosy bunkhouses. That way you can get to meet the brood for yourself – as well as trying a few of the weirder ice cream varieties. Chocolate and beetroot, anyone?