Mr Whippy Ice Cream – Margaret Thatcher

Mr Whippy Ice Cream – Margaret Thatcher

Some stories claim that Mr Whippy Ice Cream – Margaret Thatcher invented it. Well, we have the truth for you here.

Margaret Thatcher in the 1940’s before she became prime minister. Did work as a food chemist for J. Lyons and Co. At this particular time, they had partnered with a company in the US, Mister Softee to produce an ice cream mix that works for them in the machines. Her role was unclear but the time frame she was at the company producing soft serve for Mister Softee quite possibly means she had some part in inventing Mr Whippy Ice Cream.

To date, Mr Whippy Ice Cream is still very popular in the UK. We are still providing our nationwide fleet of modern vehicles to events throughout the UK.

Dairy Queen of the US also claims in 1938 that it was the first to invent Soft Serve. They claim to have trailed their top-secret formula in a friends shop in Illinois. They did an all you can eat trial and claim within 2 hours they had served 1,600 of the new product.

So just like anything else in the world, until we see some concrete evidence we aren’t sure if they are stories or facts.

Mr Whippy Ice Cream – Margaret Thatcher

There are a few ways Mr Whippy Ice Cream is produced.

A fresh liquid that requires constant refrigeration until needed. It can be stored for 5 to 7 days before it has to be binned. This fresh mix is the best for producing the best tasting end product. This is what we provide to our customers still on a regular basis. This fresh mix has to be handled with care but our highly trained staff are aware of what needs to be done. Ensuring a perfect tasting Mr Whippy Ice Cream every time.

A powdered mix. This is a dried version of the liquid mix. It has the advantage of easy distribution and can be stored for long periods of time without spoiling. Water must be added prior to being churned and frozen.

Ultraheat treated mix, a liquid that has been sterilised and packed in sealed, sterile bags. It can last a very long time without refrigeration and can be poured into the soft serve freezer immediately upon opening. At the time of opening, quality can be guaranteed and bacterial counts are zero. It was first developed for commercial use in New Zealand in 1988 in a joint venture between Tatua Foods, a dairy company and Bernie Cook, owner of Blue Boy, a mobile franchise network.

Mr Whippy Ice Cream – Margaret Thatcher

Many products have been introduced to the Ice Cream Van. Are still at the forefront of sales now. The iconic 99 flake, for instance, is still as popular now as ever. There has always been a miss conception with the naming behind it. People always thought it was called 99 because the price was 99p.

When Ice Cream Vans first took to the streets of the UK. The price for a 99 was as low as 30p. Overtime with inflation just like house prices and everything else. The cost has risen, where on average for a 99 now is around £2. With the modern-day ice cream vans costing upwards of £75,000 that is a lot of £2 Mr Whippy Ice Creams to sell to fund the vehicle. That’s not including the wages of the staff, money for the stock. The cost of insuring the van as well as paying the site rent.

So next time you treat yourself do bare in mind the costings behind the business instead of assuming you’re being ripped off. As with any business they all have overheads and an Ice Cream business isn’t any different.

Mr Whippy Ice Cream – Margaret Thatcher

If you are looking to hire one of our vehicles. Please do take a look at the Ice Cream Van Hire Page as a lot of information can be found there. If you just need to enquire for a price, head to the Get a Quote Page and fill out the form there. We have a variety of social media pages to see the links below if you want to follow us on them for the latest news.

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