FOUR guys on an industrial estate have just become the most highly regarded ice cream makers in Sussex.

The Sussex Ice Cream Company has scooped a total of ten gold stars at the prestigious Great Taste awards, making it officially the tastiest frozen desert in the county.

The ice cream factory in Littlehampton is the brainchild of former pastry chef Daniel Clarke.

After a blind taste testing by industry experts, food critics and connoisseurs, the coveted praise was awarded to five of their flavours.

Their raspberry sorbet - made only between May and September - when locally grown fruit is in season - was given the highest accolade of three stars.

Two stars each were given to their apple and basil and passionfruit sorbets and another star each to their strawberries and cream, salted caramel and coffee and cream latte flavours.

Daniel uses his patisserie background to come up with classic combinations - such as banoffee pie and black forest gateaux. The chilled creations are Sussex through and through - made from local Sussex ingredients such as cream from South View Farm in Arundel, and honey from Paynes bees near Ditchling.

And his ideas are all brought to life by head chef Guy Thompson and chefs Adam Upton and Tom Burgess - who can hand churn up to 400 litres a day.

Explaining what makes Sussex Ice Cream different, Daniel said: "It's completely nasty free.

"There's no preservatives, no stabilisers, no thickening agents.

"99.9% of other ice creams have other stuff in them.

"Ours is just cream and egg white. We only use fresh fruit, never flavourings and we only make our strawberry and raspberry flavours when we can get the fruit in season.

"Using real fruit can present its challenges because they contain a lot of water. They can crystalise when frozen but we have come up with recipes that keep it really creamy while keeping the fresh flavour.

"It does mean you don't get quite the same consistency in production - because no two bananas are the same, but we taste them and adjust the recipes as necessary."

The team - which supplies ice creams to restaurants, pubs and delis across the county - has also been asked to make special commissions - like a lavender ice cream for a hotel in Alfriston.

They are currently dreaming up a new range of alcoholic cocktail flavours- including a mojito flavour and one made with local Chilgrove gin.

However there are some flavours where Daniel draws the line.

"My children want me to try to make a bubblegum flavour ice cream, but that's not going to happen because it's not natural.

"And someone wanted us to do a Seagull flavour."