ICE cream producer Yummy Yorkshire is celebrating after achieving national recognition in the 2011 Food & Farming Industry Awards.

The Denby Dale-based producer was highly commended in the Family Business of the Year category at a prestigious award ceremony held at the House of Commons and hosted by Countryfile presenter Adam Henson.

The annual awards, now in their 10th year, are held by Farm Business magazine and aim to seek out the country’s most innovative farmers, producers, processors and retailers.

Some 200 businesses entered this year’s awards – with 40 making the final shortlist.

Judging criteria included the ability to demonstrate real growth; use of assets in terms of people, products and skills to best effect; and reinvigorate the rural economy regionally or on a national scale.

The judges praised Yummy Yorkshire for the level of family involvement in the business, which they felt gave it strength, as well as for the “obvious creative flair” in the product and packaging.

Jeremy Holmes, co-founder of Yummy Yorkshire, said: “It’s fantastic to receive such a prestigious award and one that represents our business values and ethics.

“We have worked hard to keep the family farm viable in such difficult economic times and awards like this are a nice pat on the back.”

The commendation comes shortly after Yummy Yorkshire scooped three awards for its ice cream at the 2011 National Ice Cream Competition run by the Ice Cream Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting the production and sale of premium ice cream.

Yummy Yorkshire has also been named as a regional finalist in the 2011 Countryside Alliance Awards, with winners due to be announced in early 2012. Regional winners will go forward to the overall finals, which will be held at Westminster on March 7, 2012.

Yummy Yorkshire Ice Cream was launched by Jeremy and his wife Louise in 2007 to drive added value into their existing dairy milk and cream production business.