ICE cream producers Michael Davies and Gillian Kerton were due to appear on television today showing their wares.

The father and daughter from Salwarpe, near Droitwich, were filmed on their first visit to a Worcestershire farmers' market for the programme The Little Farmer which was due to be screened on BBC 1 at 11am today.

They took their luxury ice cream to Broadway farmers' market in October at the suggestion of the television producers.

"We didn't think it was an appropriate outlet, because people usually buy cones of ice cream in the afternoon and the market ends at midday," said Mr Davies.

"But we sold about £120 worth of ice cream that morning, even though it was October and not the best of days."

The pair, who hit the headlines at Christmas with a seasonal Stilton-flavoured ice cream, began production last June.

After spotting a niche market in luxury ice cream, they obtained a diversification grant from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and now devote two per cent of their milk to making ice cream.

"We have a dairy herd of 160 cows and are still getting the same price for our milk as we did 20 years ago," said Mr Davies.

He and his daughter now sell up to 14 different varieties of the Churchfields Farmhouse brand, chiefly to restaurants, farm shops and delicatessens.

"Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla are the staples, but the favourite flavour of the moment is orange and Grand Marnier," said Mr Davies. "We have been operating at two-thirds of our capacity during the winter, making ice cream three days out of five and we still have the summer months to look forward to."

Mr Davies, aged 62, runs the dairy and arable farm with his wife, Felicity.

Gillian, the eldest of their three daughters, has a degree in agriculture from Reading University and represents the fourth generation of the family to farm at Churchfields.

She has a son, Edward, aged 18 months, and was hoping to be home from hospital yesterday with new baby, Louisa, born seven weeks early and weighing just 3lbs 7oz.