THE woman in charge of a famous Chorley ice cream company is delighted to have scooped a top national honour in the industry.

Proud Elizabeth Frederici, co-owner of Frederick's Ice Cream of Chorley, has been made president of the Ice Cream Alliance.

She said the news was 'the raspberry on the cone' as she has been a member of the alliance for the last four years.

The ICA seeks to promote the activities of ice cream manufacturers and retailers across the country and provided a support network for them through conferences and exhibitions.

Elizabeth said: "It is an honour to both myself and my family and I look forward to meeting delegates from all over the country in the ice cream industry."

Elizabeth runs Frederick's of Chorley with her husband Anthony and their four children Donna, Roseanne, Anna and Louis.

Success

She explained how the business grew from humble beginnings to become the local success it is today.

"My husband's grandfather came over from Italy to St Helens in the early 1890s and bought a hand cart, one of the old 'stop me and buy one' kind. "Over the years the family got more involved and we just grew bigger and better, acquiring a factory, shops and ice cream vans."

The company now employs 30 staff and has two shops in Chorley: Frederick's Ice Cream on Bolton Road between Chorley and Adlington, which is also the factory site, and Massa's Ice Cream Parlour on Cunliffe Street in Chorley town centre.

Elizabeth's father-in-law Matthew Frederick married May Massa, a local ice cream legend, in 1934 and the two businesses now operate in tandem.

Frederick's are now manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of ice cream and operate 12 vans in the area.

Elizabeth said: "We specialise in luxury ice cream and pride ourselves on our 100 different flavours, ranging from old favourites strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, to the more adventurous such as liquorice, pralines and cream and amaretto."