THE New Forest's best gelato master has shared her secrets on how to make the best product as The Moody Cow opens its newest store. 

Well-known Fordingbridge ice cream business, The Moody Cow, has opened its latest store, taking over the former Fordingbridge farm shop building, on Whitsbury Road. 

The Echo was invited down by the self-acclaimed moody cow and gelato maker, Susan Clarke, 61, who shared her secrets how on how to make authentic gelato and the key differences between it and the more common ice cream.

Sue said: "In theory, gelato is healthier than ice cream because it's made with more milk than cream. There's less fat in milk then there actually is in cream. Some people put egg in it but we don't. It's literally milk and cream.

"We churn it overnight so that it gets a nice thick consistency and the air is pumped into it but there's less air in gelato than there is in ice cream so you get this denser, silkier, smoother texture."

In the gelato business for over six years, Sue owned her own gelato shop, Little Ice Cream Factory, in Christchurch before The Moody Cow owner, Russ Kitching, convinced her to join his business. 

Previously working out of the business's store in Round Hill, Sue has been given state-of-art facilities to make the best gelato she can. 

She said: "At the moment we're doing two batches a day, so we're making 120 litres. We're waiting on another pasteurizer so that it can speed up on the process so we can make more in one day.

"I try to change flavours every season, bring something new in but at the moment we're doing crème egg and that's running because it's Easter. Once it comes to June it's Wimbledon so I want to come out with strawberries and clotted cream."

With a Wonka-esque freedom of creativity, Sue gets excited by the possibility of inventions of flavour and product. 

Offering dog gelato on a dog treat and gelato buns, she hopes locals will come down and enjoy her product which is also offered on wholesale for businesses.