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The Cut-Throat Business Of Being An Ice Cream Man

by Salvatore Landolina
20 October 2013 16 Comments

The Ice Cream van isn't just all chimes and happy children, it's a lucrative and cut-throat business as our man reveals exclusive insight into the trade...

Despite our British summer, the ice cream vendors are roaming the streets up and down the country, playing their chimes on the ’round’ and keeping school kids happy come 3:30pm when we all scream for the soft stuff. ‘Mr Whippy’, ’99′, ‘pop-eye’, ‘screwball’, we have all tried them and liked them, and, any vendor will tell you the profits are eye-popping, no need for rate rigging here.

I know because I used to run an ice-cream van for my best friend when I was studying at University a decade-ago. I remember being hustled by traffic wardens and police when I used to stop around places in central London trying to earn a living, but not only wardens and the Met, competition with other vendors is rife, and the stories of knives, screwdrivers and baseball bats being used just to fly-pitch go on.

The area around the London Eye and Westminister used to be particularly bad, I stayed away though, too risky. Instead I used to move to other ‘secret locations’ to ply a trade which is hardly regulated, but the law does state you can stay in one place for a maximum of 15 minutes before moving on.

A typical day would start at the garage, stock up, buy the ice cream mix from a place in Battersea and then drive into town for lunchtime trade. Find a decent place, ring the chime and wait for the tourists, commuters, office workers and students to come flocking for business until the authorities knock on the window and tell you to move or risk the van being ‘seized’ and ‘destroyed’ - no joke.

Competition with other vendors is rife, and the stories of knives, screwdrivers and baseball bats being used just to fly-pitch go on.

After that, it would be the school run, easy, find a school - not a private one - or the principal will come out and hit the van with an umbrella - and wait for the kids to come and buy one or cry all the way home because their mum said ‘the ice cream costs less in Tesco’, - yeah but Tesco don’t do ‘Mr Whippy’s’, you need a 20k Carpiggiani machine from Italy for that.

School run over, and it was time for the round - where the Ice Cream van speeds down residential streets and council estates in search of final takings for the day - this is where it gets interesting as kids would often ask for free ice cream and bubble gums. ‘you got anything for 10p?’, ‘nah mate, this isn’t a charity, know what I mean?’

Some kids were damn right rude and dangerous. One summer evening I was driving around Barnes, South West London on the round. Kids I knew turned sour when I refused to give them a free Mr Whippy. As I drove off one of the boys jumped on the serving ledge and was hanging onto the van for life as I drove off.

Luckily I noticed instantly when looking in the mirror. I stopped and had a moan at him, as had he fallen off the chances are he would have gone under the van - kids and ice cream - a matter of life and death.

Unless you have a licensed pitch to trade legally with public liability insurance, running an ice cream van is always getting harder. The low emission zone in London saw many traders forced to sell or scrap old vans and invest 50k in new ones to meet the emissions standards, others just changed career, one previous ice cream man is now a black taxi driver - me, I am trying to be a journalist.

However, if you want to make easy money by taking risks, then it’s worth a shot as on some days the van would make up to £600, take away expenses, diesel and stock, about £100 and you are left with big money - no wonder things get ruthless in certain areas.

Recently I was browsing YouTube and there was a video where two vans doing the same round on the same street had a war, windows were smashed, vans were crashed. I had some run-ins here and there, but never a brawl over a 99 flake. Welcome to the dodgy world of the ice cream van.

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Andy Southgate 1:12 pm, 22-Jul-2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE35pVrlg2c

Andy Southgate 1:13 pm, 22-Jul-2012

Mr Softy Top.....

Mikie 11:46 pm, 23-Jul-2012

Scorcese's next movie

Oz whip 12:49 pm, 24-Jul-2012

So true.Great article.Thanks for writing it.

Laura 9:19 pm, 28-Jul-2012

Brilliant article.. Came across this whilst trying to find the recent news story about the ice cream man who nearly had his arm chopped off in London this week..

washishu 3:39 pm, 16-Nov-2012

Knock it off with the chimes from nine in the morning to ten at night and I might spare some sympathy. Otherwise the sooner you're all out of business the better.

Mike N 8:02 pm, 5-Apr-2013

It all kicked off on a few ice cream rounds in Glasgow in the seventies. Turns out that a few Mr McWhippys were using their van to distribute drugs and setting about one another for control of the turf. Anything you want to confess, Salvatore?

Ian Hunter 9:43 am, 8-Apr-2013

There is a great movie (from the 90s I think) called The Ice Cream Wars, about two warring Italian families in Glasgow in the 70's; a true story. It was insane just how out of control it got, for control of the pitches and streets. Bombs in vans, petrol bombs through windows, and serious maiming, all over 99's and choc ice.

Frankie Fernando 9:19 pm, 23-Apr-2013

Great story,your so right I used to work the West End when I was 18, could only afford a old hand painted Bedford but I took the same money as the guys with new vans. Never forget one day I had a police officer hanging to the back of my van as I drove down oxford street. .I am now 48 and started up again 2 years ago and do pitch work only.

Juanconcho 3:13 am, 11-May-2013

In "upstate New York" there was recently an ice cream man arrested for intimidating a rival. "I own this town". Thought he was Tony Soprano. http://www.uproxx.com/webculture/2013/05/ice-cream-truck-wars-sno-cone-joe-driver-arrested-after-harassing-mr-ding-a-ling-employees/

Bibis 9:05 pm, 3-Jun-2013

Hi, I would appreciate some input from an ex ice cream man, as I am interested in doing this business in Europe. Thanks in advance

Gussy The Ice Cream Man 11:46 am, 17-Aug-2013

I have been an ice cream man for 35 years and also do pre school books in the shape of my van. Check out www.Gussyyheicecreamman.com Great article.

Chris 9:09 am, 20-Oct-2013

Washishu you miserable old cock, lighten up.

Tom 10:49 am, 20-Oct-2013

There is a film about the Ice cream wars called Comfort and Joy

tonibell 2:35 pm, 3-Feb-2014

Check out this video showing ice cream vans old classic from them years so remembered. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5-TJ-TaWXY

devonte steele 8:47 pm, 15-Jun-2014

do you want to sale it or do you know were I can buy a used one at

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