Hartley’s Ice Cream is a long established business, first started in the early 1930s. It was founded by a gentleman by the name of Grayson Hartley who used to sell the Ice Cream from a motorbike and sidecar.

His son, Billy Hartley, then took over the business and ran it very successfully for over forty years from the creamery shop at 24 Church Street Egremont, and mobile vans in the local area.

Norman & Hannah Caulfield, Billy Hartley’s Sister and Brother-in-law, ran the business for a couple of years in the late 1970s and were then joined in partnership by Les Richardson in 1981.

Les Richardson then became sole proprietor in 1983; Les had worked in the business as a schoolboy and had had strong ties with the Hartley family from an early age.

Les’s son Mark joined the firm in 1991 and worked alongside his father until Les Retired in 2003, Mark now runs the business supported by his wife Shirley, in the same way it has been successfully run for over seventy years.

They also have an Ice Cream Parlour & Coffee Shop in Cockermouth which is located at 46 Main Street and a Beach Shop & Cafe at the sea front on Beach Road in St. Bees.

In addition they supply many local dining establishments with their Ice Cream.