Taylor’s of Biggar, the ice cream destination.
The town of Biggar, nestling within the heartland of one of Scotland’s premier dairy farming areas, has long been a favourite destination for families.
Generation after generation of visitors to Biggar have fond memories of the many fine treats served by the businesses of the town. Top of most people’s list would be the superb quality ice cream purchased here.
Stewart and Nita Taylor purchased the Ice Cream business from the Italian Ricci family in 1968, and during the next 46 years, they have built a formidable reputation for their Original Italian Vanilla Ice Cream. Although many changes have been made since those early days, the Taylors were determined to continue using the recipes and traditional high standards of their predecessors, and this is still true today. Milk is delivered daily to the production unit from local farms, and great care is taken always to source only the purest natural ingredients.
Innovative recipes and flavours.
By 1985 it had become very obvious that if the family wished to continue to build the wholesale arm of the business, a new production area, with scope for developing the ranges offered would have to be found. The family decided to sell their original factory and move all their production to their present site at Ross Square in Biggar. These premises offered the Taylor family the flexibility they needed to experiment with bespoke flavours which were being requested by local hotels and restaurants, whilst greatly increasing production of their Vanilla Ice Cream. Many of the new flavours produced at that time are now incorporated into the weekly production run as demand for more innovative recipes has increased in recent years.
With business continuing to flourish, the Taylor of Biggar branding began to appear at many locations outwith the Biggar area, but the need to retain a foothold in their home town was not lost on the Taylor family. Their magical range of products can still be purchased at “Cones & Candies” 129 High Street, their main retail outlet in the town. Currently, deliveries by their own transport are made on a weekly basis to outlets throughout Central Southern Scotland, Fife and The Borders.
A family business in Biggar.
The influence of Stewart & Nitas daughter Gillian and her husband Grahame McDonald, who have run the company since 1997, can be seen in the introduction of a range of Low Fat Frozen Yoghurts which were launched at the Royal Highland Show in 1998. Once again the use of only the purest natural ingredients allied to the highest possible standards in production should ensure that this is another Taylor of Biggar winner, and gaining the Food for Scotland Excellence Award (Dairy & Egg section), reinforces this claim.
On the subject of winning, Taylor’s of Biggar have, since 1980, entered products in the National Ice Cream Alliance competitions, held at there annual show. During this time over 100 awards have been won with Medals, Diplomas and Cups being brought back to Biggar. High points of these awards are the Bronze Medal for Dairy Vanilla Ice Cream taken at the 1997 show, the Silver Medal for Dairy Vanilla Ice Cream received at the 2002 show competing against producers from across the UK and Ireland, also the Scottish Cup in 2000 for the Vanilla Ice Cream gaining the highest marks for Scotland in the National Competition. In October 2004 at the Ice Cream Alliance National Competition, Taylor’s received the top prize being awarded, the Gold Medal, along with a Silver Cup for coming first in the Dairy Ice Cream Continuous Freezer Class, also a bronze medal was awarded for the Dairy Artisan Class and a Special Diploma of Merit for their Strawberry Ice Cream.
Today the majority of Taylors production remains their traditional Ice Cream, but they have also added the manufacture of Scottish Tablet, Fudge and Macaroon Bars along with Butter and Treacle Drops to their product range.