A LEWES firm has won two national awards for bringing the ‘flavour of the decade’ to ice cream makers across the UK.

HB Ingredients imports and distributes gelato ingredients such as chocolate and hazelnut from Italian manufacturer JoyGelato.

It won a Best Supply House trophy for its strawberry gelato in the 2018 National Ice Cream Awards.

It also won the Best New Flavour award for a salted caramel ripple which it has only just started supplying.

HB Ingredients is the first company to win two supply awards since the exhibitor awards began in 2013.

Business development manager and ice cream technical expert Steve Carrigan said the firm, based on the Cliffe Industrial Estate, had won an award every year since it started entering the contest three years ago but this was its first double triumph.

He said: “We are absolutely over the moon to have won both awards.

“It reflects the fact that JoyGelato leads the sector with a high quality product at a fair and competitive price.”

He said that staff were over the moon with the success.

Salted caramel was invented 40 years ago by a French chocolatier but has surged in popularity recently and has been described as the flavour of the decade.

Zelica Carr, Chief Executive of The Ice Cream Alliance, said HB Ingredients played a key role in helping to ensure ice cream sold across Britain was of a high standard with excellent flavours and congratulated the firm on its success.

The Ice Cream Alliance represents more than 530 businesses in Great Britain and Ireland involved in the manufacturing, retail and catering of ice cream and related products

The ICA has long established links with all Government bodies, particularly DEFRA and the Department of Health.