2 weeks Ago
A newly-restored 70s vintage ice cream van is coming to Sussex. And its owner plans to bring customers premium ice cream "with a touch of nostalgia". Once forgotten in a dusty London garage, the 1973 Bedford Vintage ice cream van, now named Gloria, has been given a makeover and will be making an appearance at several festivals, weddings, charity events and more.
Based near Henfield, West Sussex, Gloria can travel up to 25 miles. Gloria's owner Simon Rennie-Hale said: "It came about because of my love for customer service but also my husband works in the wedding industry as a toastmaster. "He heard that there was a vintage ice cream van was for sale and so I thought this was a great chance to marry the two.
" Simon will be serving locally produced ice-cream. (Image: Simon Rennie-Hale) Simon will be serving locally-sourced seasonal ice cream, including seasonal specialties as well as alcohol-inspired flavours. Gloria will stock all of the classic flavours but with some interesting combinations also, such as Orange Mascarpone & Caramel, Lavender and Honey and Lemon Crème Biscuit, to name a few.
As a bit of an ice cream connoisseur, Simon only wanted to be serving the very best. This meant carrying out extensive research - tasting the best Sussex ice cream. Boho Gelato will be stocked.
(Image: Simon Rennie-Hale) After much research, Simon decided he would stock ice cream from Boho Gelato, an independent producer of award-winning artisan Italian style ice cream and sorbet. Gelatiere Seb Cole and his team use locally-produced milk and cream and the best quality ingredients from around the world to create more than 500 flavours. The company has been have been listed in the top ten ice creams in the UK, according to their website.
Boho Gelato has two Brighton locations as well as shops in Worthing. The ice cream is made daily in house. Apart from the ice cream, the next most important thing about an ice cream van is its chime.
Gloria is complete with a lively and cheerful melody which lets everyone know she is in the vicinity. Simon says he would love her to play the song Gloria by Laura Branigan in the chimes of an ice cream van. When the chime is not playing, the van runs quietly and cleanly as there are no noisy generators or fumes.
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