A FAMILY-RUN ice cream company has secured a £11,000 grant to expand.

Spot Loggins, founded in 2004, produces luxury ice cream at Bretforton House Farm.

The money will help the company to times its production by four and to take on two new workers.

Phoebe Appleby from Spot Loggins said: "This funding has enabled us to purchase a new machine which can increase our production by four times enabling us to supply larger customers.

"This in turn will mean we will increase the number of jobs available, we hope to produce at least two new full time jobs.

"As well as increasing jobs we will also be able to reduce our overheads which will free up more money to invest in grow of the business.

"We will also have more time available to approach a lot more customers which will then increase turnover.

"In order to move on we needed to invest in new equipment to enable us to produce more ice cream in less time which, in turn, enabling us to approach larger customers and increase our sales and turnover."

The ice-cream company were the latest recipient of a grant from the Worcestershire LEADER programme, which is delivered locally by Worcestershire County Council and the Worcestershire Local Action Group.

The farm has been run by the Appleby family for nearly 60 years.

All the ice cream is made from the farm's milk and the flavourings are all natural and sourced locally as far as possible.

The focus of the LEADER programme is on growing the economies of rural communities by enabling local people to identify and implement solutions to local problems.

Jill Hall, Chair of the Local Action Group, said: "LEADER is all about helping the county’s rural small businesses to grow.

"Many business owners have great ideas and the commitment to take their business to the next stage but lack the financial resources to make their plans and dreams a reality."

Worcestershire businesses are being encouraged to apply for the next round of LEADER funding by Friday April 28.

Anyone interested in applying for a LEADER grant should visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/LEADER or call programme manager Katie Ainsworth on 01905 843992.