The Ice Cream Alliance (ICA), the UK trade association for the sector, has launched the UK’s first competition to find the best ice cream Parlor of the Year. It is open to all parlors in the UK (not just ICA members) – as long they have a 5 Star Food Hygiene Rating or the Blue Pass Scottish equivalent.
“This award gives parlors a chance to shout about their creativity, professionalism and customer service in an industry that is growing by an amazing 20% per year,” commented ICA, CEO Zelica Carr. “This competition is about promoting the very best and giving the winning parlor the accolades and the recognition, it deserves.”
To enter, the interested parties should submit an up to 800-word description of your business and five photos. Entrants will be judged on their premises; machinery; equipment and utensils; working practices; hygiene standards; allergen information; packaging type; management controls; and finally, ice cream quality and display. All entrants will be visited by an independent and professional mystery shopping company. The resultant report, together with an audit of the entry documents, will allow the judging panel to shortlist the entrants. 27 regional finalists (then whittled down to one for each ICA region) will be selected. The regions are Scotland, Northern, North West, Yorkshire, Midlands, Wales, London Home Counties, South West and Northern Ireland.
These 9 parlors will be asked to submit a short video (maximum three minutes) showcasing their business. This can be filmed on a smart phone, or any other suitable device. From this, four semi-finalists will be chosen. These parlors will be visited by an expert, independent judging panel who will make the final decision. All entrants will receive a ‘Parlor of the Year 2020 Entrant’ window sticker to publicize that they have achieved the standards to enter. Regional finalists will be publicized in their local media and the winner of Parlor of the Year 2020 will be announced through a full regional, national consumer and trade PR campaign.
“The publicity benefits of winning such a prestigious award could be enormous,” added Zelica Carr. “If you are a new business it could really put you on the map. If you are an existing or longstanding parlor then this could cement your reputation for excellence – across all the stringent criteria on which you will be judged.”
The Ice Cream Alliance Parlor of the Year 2020 is sponsored by Antonelli a major UK manufacturer of waffle, wafer and sugar cones and supplier of ice cream ingredients to the trade. The company was founded in 1912.
“We are delighted to be sponsoring the UK’s first Parlor of the Year award,” commented Mark Antonelli, director of Sales & Technical Support. “There is a wealth of creativity and professionalism in this sector and we welcome a chance to recognize it.”
The closing date for entries is 31st March 2020. Regional finalists will be announced by 21st April and the winner announced in early July – to give the winning parlor the opportunity to maximize the marketing and business benefits in the high summer season.