Leading Cross Hands ice cream maker Mario’s Ice Cream has been named as one of the 12 Welsh food and drink companies appearing at the UK’s most prestigious food event - the Food and Drink Expo in Birmingham.

The company will be using the Food and Drink Expo as the perfect platform from which to launch its latest range of flavours. 

New will be the tempting rum flavoured ice cream with bara brith, the peanut butter flavoured Snickerone and not forgetting the naughty Cookie Dough. 

Festival-goers will also be able to indulge in Mario's gingerbread ice cream and the award-winning Biscoffi  with its Biscoff sauce and Biscoff crumb.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the fact that we're not only the best ice cream company in Wales, but that we also use only the finest ingredients,” said Mario’s managing director Mario Dallavalle. 

“Naturally we always want to attract new business from all over the UK and we hope that this event will help us to achieve that.”

Other Welsh companies joining the 1,200 exhibitors will include Daioni Organic, Llaeth y Llan/Village Dairy, Princes Gate Water Ltd, Terry’s Patisserie and The Welsh Sausage Company Ltd.

The event is designed to offer producers the chance to source new buyers and distributors and to showcase the very best food and drink products currently being made in Wales.

Each company will receive the financial support of the Welsh government.

“Our support allows producers to attend events such as Food & Drink Expo and provides them with an excellent opportunity to interact directly with buyers and distributors and showcase the very best of Wales,” said Lesley Griffiths, minister for rural affairs.

“Through long term vision and effort over the last decade we have achieved significant growth, a rising industry profile, and a strong team spirit based on partnership which has given us a firm foundation to build upon for the future.”

The Food and Drink Expo will take place between April 25 and 27.