A LEGENDARY ice cream company has thrown open its doors to the Echo, for an exclusive look at how it is “innovating for the next generation”.

Rossi Ice Cream has grown from a family parlour founded in 1932 to a titan of seaside treats, until a slight decline in recent years.

But it is now under the watchful eye of magician-turned-businessman James Sinclair, who vows to “restore it to its former glory”.

“I never get tired of ice creams and cakes,” Mr Sinclair said.

“Rossi is an institution and we’re in charge of looking after it for the next generation.”

Pasteuriser Jim Hey is responsible for the first steps of ice cream production at the company’s factory in Purdeys Way, Rochford.

Echo: Ice cream man - Jim Hey is responsible for the first step of Rossi's production.Ice cream man - Jim Hey is responsible for the first step of Rossi's production. (Image: Ben Shahrabi)

“54 packs of butter go into each ‘boil’, along with 25 kilos of palm oil,” Jim said.

“We always start with a vanilla base, except when we’re making chocolate ice cream.”

He makes the base mix, which is pumped into a homogeniser, where pistons “punch” the mix to give it its familiar consistency.

The mixture is then pumped through £100,000-worth of food-grade stainless steel pipes into cooling vats, where it is churned and cooled, before being boxed up.

Echo: Responsible job - the ice cream is boxed up in tubs for delivery to Rossi's shops.Responsible job - the ice cream is boxed up in tubs for delivery to Rossi's shops. (Image: Ben Shahrabi)

Mr Sinclair added: “We’re always innovating our ice cream production. We’re making more new flavours than ever, while keeping our historic flavours too.

“Wherever possible, we make our ice cream with ‘pastes’, the traditional Italian way of making it.

Echo: Inside scoop - reporter Ben Shahrabi was invited to see the baking and ice cream making in action.Inside scoop - reporter Ben Shahrabi was invited to see the baking and ice cream making in action. (Image: Ben Shahrabi)

“What makes Rossi so great is the quality of our ingredients. We only use the best – like Cadbury’s Crème Eggs and chocolate buttons.”

In addition to its iconic ice creams, Rossi has expanded to bake cookies, cakes, and doughnuts.

Echo: Fine art - Rossi's bakery team makes intricate designs on delicious cookies, doughnuts and cakes.Fine art - Rossi's bakery team makes intricate designs on delicious cookies, doughnuts and cakes. (Image: Ben Shahrabi)

Mr Sinclair added: “We had to create the bakery as nobody really buys ice cream in the winter.”

Bakery production manager Paula O’Donnell said: “One of our most popular products is the Bakewell blondie, and our doughnuts sell very well, too.

“But that wouldn’t be possible without my team.

“I might get fed up with cookies and cakes after making hundreds of them a day, but I love what I do.”