A Harrogate ice cream van’s Mr Whippy cones have been judged the best in Britain.
John Taylor, whose family has been selling ice cream since 1889, is parked outside the Victoria Shopping Centre most days from March to September.
After a desperate few months of lockdowns and cold weather, business is now booming thanks to soaring temperatures and recognition at the National Ice Cream Competition 2021, which is run by the Ice Cream Alliance, the sector’s UK trade association.
C and M Ices, which Mr Taylor runs with his step-cousin Chris Walker, was awarded the gold medal for its Mr Whippy ice cream. It is the most prestigious ice cream competition in the country and has been running for 76 years.
Harrogate born and bred Mr Taylor, who is his family’s fourth generation ice cream seller, said:
“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 quality products as a core part of our trading.”
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The last time Mr Taylor’s family won the award was in 1979, the year he was born. Back then vans manufactured their own Mr Whippy ice cream; now it is judged on qualities such as flavour, appearance and texture. The amount of air is one of the crucial factors, Mr Taylor explained.
The championships are normally held at the Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show in Harrogate but it was cancelled due to covid so the ICA organised a panel of judges to tase the entries at its head office.
Zelica Carr, chief executive of the ICA, said:
“Congratulations to John. There was very stiff competition in all the categories so to win gold is a very big achievement.”
According to the ICA, the pandemic cost ice cream parlours and ice cream vans £289million of income in 2020.
Mr Taylor said it had been a tough year and he was sad his uncle David McBretney, who also ran the business until he died in September, was not around to collect the award.
He added he hoped the current fine weather continued.
“Everyone thinks we are millionaires because we have had three days of hot weather but we have only got June, July, August and September until our season is over again.”
