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Business

Camel milk ice cream created by the Simply Ice Cream company, in Ashford, has been hailed a success and it plans to go to Harrods in the future

By: Dan Wright dwright@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 20:00, 22 September 2014

A new ice cream made from camel milk has been launched in Kent - and its creators now plan to take the unique product to Harrods.

The strange sounding treat, which is made without any sugar, was launched earlier this month and there are now ambitious plans in the pipeline to expand the business.

Produced by the Ashford-based Simply Ice Cream company, the product is somewhat unusual but proved a hit when it was launched at a special 'camel race day' event at Hole Park, near Rolvenden, earlier this month.

Camel milk ice cream - yes, ice cream from camel milk - has proved popular in Kent

On the back of that success, company founder Sally Newall is looking at the possibility of expanding the venture and plans to target Harrods, the upmarket London department store, as a possible future outlet to sell the product.

At the 'camel race day' event on Sunday, September 7, the company - which sold the ice cream in vanilla, mango and strawberry flavours - had 120 pots on sale and sold out within an hour.

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They may have cost £3.50 per pot but the ice cream is expensive to make, as the camel milk costs £10 per litre to buy.

Now, Simply Ice Cream founder Sally Newall is contemplating the benefits of producing the camel milk ice cream alongside the company's current products and flavours.

Sally Newall, founder of Simply Ice Cream, is contemplating the benefits of producing the ice cream

She and John Hare, of the Wild Camel Protection Foundation, are discussing a possible collaboration to launch the product.

"We're in the planning process - the feedback has generally been very good," she said, on taking the ice cream into proper production.

"We will sit down and work out whether it's viable and whether there is a market.

"We would market as a premium product for places like Harrods where there's a ready made market for it. It's initially worth contacting them and seeing what they think about it."

The camel milk ice cream went down well at Hole Park's 'camel race day' event this month

Simply Ice Cream also enjoyed positive feedback when the product was put on show at the Speciality and Fine Food Fair in London.

"It's whether it's going to be competitive enough with the other products available, like sheep and buffalo," she added.

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"At the 'camel race day,' people were buying it because it was a novelty; whether they will go and buy it (in other places) remains to be seen."

As well as the curiosity factor of trying camel milk, the ice cream also presents a number of health benefits, according to Mr Hare.

Paul Dunn helped run the stall and had to take his sign down early after he sold out of pots - which cost £3.50 each

"It's very low in fat and very high in insulin," he said, with the ice cream providing an alternative for those who are allergic to the lactose in dairy.

"It's very good for people with type one diabetes - that's a good selling point for camel milk ice cream."

A dairy in Holland which houses 83 milking camels produces the milk for Simply Ice Cream, which is also high in vitamin C and uses agave instead of sugar to sweeten the flavours.

"I wonder whether ordinary people would see the difference of cow milk ice cream and camel milk," Mr Hare added, who also helped run the Hole Park event.

"Camel milk is maybe not quite so creamy but it's very good for you."

What's the most unusual food you've eaten? Join the debate below.

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