A CROSS HANDS based ice cream firm has scooped another prestigious national award for their popular products.

Mario’s Luxury Dairy Ice Cream won the Open Flavoured contest at the 2016 National Ice Cream Competition after whipping up a rather tasty tropical treat.

The family run business’ mango and passionfruit ice-cream impressed the judges at the contest, winning the Silver Challenge Cup for best open flavour.

The award is the latest success for the firm in the prestigious annual contest- run by The Ice Cream Alliance – the trade body for the UK’s £1 billion ice cream industry. They also scooped the award for Best Dairy Ice Cream in the Continuous Class last year.

And the firm say it’s down to using Carmarthenshire’s finest milk and cream and just a little Italian flair and years of ice cream know-how.

The family run firm, for which Mario’s wife Heather, son Riccardo and daughter Francesca also work, combines Mario’s Italian heritage with the finest ingredients, including fresh milk and double cream from local farms to produce a luxuriously indulgent ice cream.

Mario is a third generation ice cream maker and has over 20 years’ experience in traditional ice cream making techniques.

The new flavour, created in time for summer, will be exclusively available through Castell Howell Foods, Castell Howell Foods are Wales’ largest independent food wholesaler and are also based in Cross Hands.

Mario said: "This will mean that this winning flavour will be available throughout Wales and the west of England and we look forward to seeing it on menus in restaurants, pubs and ice cream parlours."

Mario said he was extremely proud to have brought back the Silver Challenge Cup to Carmarthenshire for the second year running adding that the awards were “proving testimony that the milk and cream from Carmarthenshire farms makes the best ice cream.”

Zelica Carr, Chief Executive of The Ice Cream Alliance, said: "Heather and Mario are to be congratulated on their continued success in winning yet another award against strong competition from ice cream makers across the UK and Ireland."