A Suffolk business has scooped a prestigious award for its ice cream.

Announced last night, September 5, at the Great Taste Golden Forks ceremony, the Great Taste Golden Fork trophy for East Anglia was awarded to Alder Tree for its blackcurrant ice cream.

The Great Taste Awards are a "stamp of excellence" within the food industry, with the winning products undergoing a blind-tasting judging process which takes place over 90 days.

Alder Tree, which is based at Alder Carr farm in Needham Market, won the award due to its ice cream being a "delicious balance of creaminess and tart fruit and pronounced blackcurrant flavour".

The ice cream is made by hand on the company's fruit farm to a traditional family recipe where only 100% British fruit, cream and sugar is used.

Impressing the judges with its “inviting, deep, rich purple colour”, the Alder Tree blackcurrant ice cream wowed the panel at every stage of the judging process.

Rising to the top among hundreds of other entries from East Anglia, the “light and airy” ice cream was celebrated as the best-tasting product in its region at the ceremony, which was held at Southwark Cathedral.

John Farrand, managing director at the Guild of Fine Food, said: “Unveiling the Great Taste Golden Fork winners is a huge honour.

"After months of rigorous blind-tasting and judging, it is fantastic to reveal the award-winning products and celebrate the producers' hard work and innovation.

"It’s been an exceptional year for creativity and inspirational food and drink entries.

"Huge congratulations from all of us at Guild of Fine Food to all the award winners, it really isn’t easy to do what you do - I have the utmost admiration for you all."