Ice Cream Alliance Archives - Ice Cream Alliance

Is your Ice Cream Parlour the Best in the UK?

1 March, 2023
Ice Cream Alliance
ICA News, Ice Cream Alliance, Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show, Parlour of the Year

The Ice Cream Alliance (ICA) has re-launched* the UK’s first competition to find the best Ice Cream Parlour of the Year and the main sponsor is www.antonelli.co.uk. It is open to all parlours in the UK (not just ICA members) as long they are registered as a Food Business with the Local Authority or Food Standards Authority.

The winner will receive a Trophy, significant local and national PR coverage and £500 voucher for Antonelli Bros products.

To enter just complete the Entry Form and send us a short video. Full details and the Entry Form can be found here.

Entrants will be judged, for instance on their…

Premises
Machinery
Equipment
Utensils
Working Practices
Hygiene Standards
Allergen Information
Packaging Type
Management Controls
Ice Cream Quality
Display

All entrants will be appraised by a team of experienced judges who will produce a shortlist of six finalists. These shortlisted parlours will be visited by an independent and professional mystery shopper.

The closing date for entries is 31^st March 2023. The winner will be announced at the end of May 2023.

Entry costs are £249 (ex VAT) for ICA members and £349 (ex VAT) for non-members.

Additionally further information on Antonelli visit: www.antonelli.co.uk

For further information on the ICA and Parlour of the Year, click h ere

Ice Cream Parlour of the Year was originally launched in February 2020 but wasas a result postponed because of the COVID 19 pandemic.

HARROGATE MAN WINS ICE CREAM VAN 2023

20 February, 2023
Ice Cream Alliance
ICA News, Ice Cream Alliance, Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show, Mobiler of the Year

Harrogate man, John Taylor from ice cream van business C and M Ices in Harrogate has won one of the most prestigious awards in the ice cream sector – Ice Cream Van 2023. The award was announced at the National Ice Cream Championships Gala Dinner, the ICA Award Night 2023 at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Harrogate last night. The competition is run by the Ice Cream Alliance (ICA), the sector’s UK trade association.

Ice Cream Van 2023 (known as Mobiler of the Year in the trade) is sponsored by Ice Cream Direct in Doncaster.

“We are proud to sponsor the 2023 Mobiler of the Year competition, providing us with the opportunity to support and celebrate the Great British tradition of mobiling and the dedicated people within the industry”.

“Winning this award is the biggest honour of my life,” exclaimed John, Harrogate man. “I am not often lost for words but the moment it was announced I was literally speechless. As an ice cream van operator, you can’t get a much more prestigious award, and it proves to everyone we put our all into our business.”

C and M Ices was established in 1889 and remains a family business. John is the 4th generation and has been working in ice cream vans since he left school (over 25 years ago). John can be found in one of his vans pitched outside the Victoria Shopping Centre in Harrogate most days (April to September), weather permitting. John and his team also cater for events and weddings.

“Congratulations to John,” added Zelica. “There was very stiff competition among the three finalists – so to win is a very big achievement.”

For more information on C and M Ices visit: www.harrogateicecream.co.uk

TO READ MORE NEWS ARTICLES, CLICK HERE

Make sure to follow us on our socials to keep updated with the latest events in the ICA.

ICA Working Hard to Save Our Sector

‘The Great British Ice Cream Staycation – ice cream smiles, today, tomorrow and always’

We are mobilising our members, the wider industry and other parts of the hospitality sector to promote their products to all those holidaying in the country this summer. Our campaign, The Great British Ice Cream Staycation, is encouraging businesses of all types and sizes to get involved. A free, downloadable DIY Marketing Toolkit is available now at www.ice-cream.org/webform/great-british-ice-cream-staycation

“Ice cream parlours and ice cream vans have been hard hit in this pandemic losing a total of £289 million in income in 2020*,” comments ICA CEO Zelica Carr. “And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when you add lost ice cream sales in cafes, restaurants and hotels and the economic impact to businesses along the supply chain – manufacturers, flavour houses, wholesalers and many others.”

The Great British Ice Cream Staycation campaign is all about reminding people what a delicious, fun, happy and affordable treat ice cream is and what iconic childhood memories it generates. Of course, it is also about supporting our members and the ice cream industry to safeguard their survival.

“This campaign is not about dictating to businesses how to market their products,” adds Zelica Carr. “It’s about harnessing everyone’s creative flair and dynamism and providing them with the tools – across digital marketing, PR, influencer marketing, POS – to maximise sales and bounce back from a truly horrid twelve months. We are providing marketing materials, guides and templates free to everyone who wants it – not just to ICA members.”

The ICA surveyed members on the effects of the pandemic on business in 2020*. It revealed that 90 ice cream parlours have closed in the last twelve months and that 800 mobilers have ceased trading over the same period. However, the governments Furlough Scheme has been a life saver for many businesses with up to 62% of staff furloughed at some point during the pandemic.

Zelica Carr concludes: “The ICA was founded just after the Second World War to promote a fledgling sector during the post-war years. The ice cream industry successfully expanded since then but has faced its biggest threat since the war from the pandemic. We felt the ICA had to play a major role in helping our sector to recover and flourish again.”

To download the FREE Great British Ice Cream Staycation DIY Marketing Toolkit or to find out how your hospitality, tourism business or trade association can get involved, visit www.ice-cream.org/webform/great-british-ice-cream-staycation