WHAT began as a venture with a single ice-cream van has turned into a £920,000 turnover success story employing 16 people.

Leslie Buxton’s Yorvale offers the real taste of Yorkshire in a cone.

The pedigree Friesian Holstein herd, which grazes on lush grass at the Buxtons’ farm in Acaster Malbis, gives rich milk which, within 90 minutes of leaving the parlour, is ready to be pasteurised and processed into ice cream at their sleek, newly built factory.

And as supplies go out to an increasing number of independent retailers, farm shops, garden centres and attractions, including York Theatre Royal, York Races and Museum Gardens, the business is entering an ambitious growth phase in which Leslie and her husband, Ian, hope to see turnover double by 2016.

Yorvale was founded in 1989 on a rented farm. Leslie gave up a job in retail to raise a family and help Ian to develop the business.

She assumed responsibility for the commercial and development side of the business while Ian took on the technical role.

Now Yorvale has been entered in the Small Business Of The Year category of The Press Business Awards 2011 while Leslie is seeking the Women In Enterprise title.

She says: “My experience in food, together with a passion for quality products and the need to provide for our growing family ensured that failure was never an option.”