Tammy Hoy, participant on the Diversification Challenge-Business Start Programme writes:

I’m Tammy Hoy and I live and work on the family farm at Parkgate near Antrim with my husband Andrew and our three young children, under the age of three. We run a dairy herd of 110 pedigree Holstein cows and we also manufacture and sell ice cream.  

I worked for Coca Cola for seven years in customer services but decided that I would like to run my own business which would add value to our farm produce and in 2005 started to investigate the possibilities. We decided to manufacture and sell ice cream and in 2007 we gained our food licence and began manufacturing and selling our own ice cream –‘Hoy’s Farmhouse Ice Cream’.

Running your own business is different to working for someone else and you suddenly realise that you need to make use of all the help that is available. I discussed my proposed plans for the ice cream business with the local Rural Enterprise Adviser and enrolled on CAFRE’s Diversification Challenge -Business Start programme. CAFRE’s programme came just at the right time for me as we had a hard year last year, but the programme got me rejuvenated and back on focus with where we wanted to go!  ‘Start-up’ is a critical time!  

The Business Start programme has helped me to develop skills and make contacts that will help me succeed in business. I have developed new marketing and selling techniques, improved the management of my time and finances and I now make more use of IT and office systems within  the business.

I enjoyed attending the workshops in Lisburn where I met with other diversifiers to discuss a range of topics. I have formed a new network of useful contacts, benefit from the guidance of two mentors with experience of the food business and have employed a graduate student from the PLUS+ (Food & Drink) Cadetship programme to help out.

As the business is now developing I look forward to meeting the group again to discuss their progress and to receive my certificate for successfully completing the programme.

Tammy Hoy, Parkgate, County Antrim on the family dairy farm where she manufactures and sells ‘Hoys farmhouse ice cream’

Some of the 1100 visitors who attended Hoy’s Ice Cream farm annual open day on Saturday 25^th April at Parkgate, County