A POPULAR farm-based ice-cream company is taking to the road – after taking over a mobile competitor.

Brymor Real Dairy Ice Cream, based near Masham, has acquired Catterick-based local mobile ice cream business Barries Ice Creams.

And it will be taking to the road this summer to take its famous product to locals and visitors alike.

The new mobile fleet of three vans and two trailers will be attending a selection of local shows, fairs and events.

Barries Ice Creams has been established since 1968 and has since been a regular feature in the market places of Leyburn, Richmond and Ripon.

Barries owner Barrie Proctor is taking semi-retirement but plans to continue to operate the kiosk at Richmond Falls as well as attend a selected number of events.

Brymor will be taking over the concession in Leyburn market place - and hopes to add to that in due course.

Operations director Nicola Moore said: “We now have more than 350 retail outlets for our ice cream as well as our own ice cream parlour at High Jervaulx and it's great to be able to provide even more opportunities for people to enjoy Brymor ice cream.

“We will carefully select events and locations to compliment the location of our existing customers and we hope everyone will agree it will be a great way of raising awareness of the Brymor brand.”

The move comes just five months after Brymor announced plans to double production to 1m litres a year.

It also launched a marketing drive specifically aimed at getting its 40 flavours into more farm shops, independent retailers, and on "local shelves" in supermarkets throughout Yorkshire and the North-East.

The company’s Guernsey dairy herd of 100 milkers and 100 followers is also being enlarged to provide more of its rich milk.

Brymor was founded in 1984 by Lower Wensleydale farming couple Brian and Brenda Moore.

They built a manufacturing plant and parlour and opened a cafe which now attracts more than 300,000 visitors a year.

Mr and Mrs Moore both died in 2011 and the company is now owned by local businessman Paul Hodgson who bought it “because I love ice-cream.”