A THRIVING West Somerset business has clinched the ultimate deal - selling ice to the Eskimos.

Styles Farmhouse Ice Cream will be shipping its first consignment of Slim Ewe to Norway this week.

The 1,800 single serving tubs and 550 half litre tubs of the sheep's milk iced dessert will be sent to stores across the country through Alternativ Mat, a major supplier of organic and fair trade branded products and allergy-friendly foods.

And with outlets in the Arctic Circle on the company's books, David Baker, who co-founded Styles with his wife Sue, said it was a fair bet that Eskimos would be tucking into Slim Ewe.

The low calorie, low fat product should be well suited to the Norwegians, many of whom, according to Mr Baker, have a high intolerance of dairy foods.

"Apparently 20 per cent of Norwegians have a dairy intolerance, compared to just five per cent of people in this country," he said.

The first order, which Mr Baker hopes will be repeated, is worth around £3,500 and the deal took more than a year to negotiate.

Styles already exports to Malta and has its products, which include dairy ice cream and its own spring bottled water, in a range of top outlets, from Harrods to Fortnum and Mason.

Its distinctive ice cream trikes also ply their trade in tourist attractions ranging from the Tower of London to Hampton Court.

"We're really pleased with the latest deal," said Mr Baker.

"The Norwegian supplier spotted us at a trade event about a year ago and we've been talking since then."

Meanwhile, the recent warm weather has brought a bumper start to the season, with Styles celebrating a 100 per cent increase in sales on April last year.

The Rodhuish-based company, which employs ten permanent full-time staff and a further 40 full and part-time from February to October, estimates that it has brought a £750,000 boost to the local economy in the past year.

Photo: Steve Guscott