British, bespoke and hand built in Crewe – it can only be one thing: a Whitby Morrison ice cream van. With its familiar cheery chimes and vivid, shouty graphics, it’s a British institution.
In summer, around 4000 ice cream vans are out there making hay (well, ice cream) while the sun shines. Whitby Morrison is busy, but not half as busy as it will be when the country’s soft-scoop barons return from the nation’s streets, beaches, fields and festivals to splash out on a shiny new £70,000 Mondial Lusso (the company’s top-selling van available, in short or medium- wheelbase forms) or Amalfi, or have their existing vehicle refurbished or a panel van converted.
The company produces 100 vans each year, comprising 60 new, 30 conversions and 10 vintage van conversions (Mini pick-ups, Volkswagen Type 2s, old Bedfords, that kind of thing). It’s the UK’s biggest ice cream van manufacturer, easily dwarfing rivals who, even combined, produce no more than 10 vehicles annually.
Not that Ed Whitby, operations director, is complacent. Rather, as the third generation of the Whitby family to be involved with the business, he’s passionate about building and converting ice cream vans, and ensuring the nation’s love for soft scoop never wanes.
“At any point in time there’s someone, somewhere in the world smiling because they’re buying an ice cream from a Whitby Morrison ice cream van,” he says.
It’s no idle boast. The company’s vehicles are in 60 countries and it exports around 10 vans each year. Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Kazakhstan... they love their Whitby Morrisons. In 2014 the company sold 20 ice cream vans to Azerbaijan.
When I turn up there’s a Mondial Lusso adorned with Arabic script destined for Libya, its sound system poised to blare La Cucaracha over what remains of the country. It’s the 13th van the customer has ordered since Gaddafi was toppled. “He takes them over the Med via Sicily, passing migrant boats coming the other way,” says Whitby.
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Great company - but ditch the diesel
We need ice-cream vans, but not if they are gassing us as we wait in line and not if they sound like a bag of spanners.
Going electric is the answer and it’s already been proven to work. No more excuses, please.
Land Rover Ice Cream Van
At Land Rover's Special Vehicles there used to be a standing joke that the only conversion we hadn't done or been asked for was a Defender ice cream van, then we spotted a photo of one in a magazine...
I wonder about vehicle testing/licensing on these machines since there seems to be lots of ancient rusty ice cream vans around held together with many layers of filler and brightly coloured paint.
UK!
I find most of the above comments so negative and with no real constructive criticisms.
so much so I registered PURELY to have something positive here about how bloody wonderful it truly is to see a third generation UK manufacturer ‘going great guns!’. In the face of negativity being shoved down our throats by British contrived media.
I personally feel exceptionally proud to read this report and feel inspired NOT to fall into the trap of redundant thinking portrayed in subsequent comments .... we NEED to stop spitting at each other and start supporting UK home brew business. Now more than ever. I applaud and support this company and the positive reporting of it. GO UK!!
UKbusiness wrote:
You must be new to the internet. Meanwhile note that they are relying on Mercedes vans, which last time I checked were not UK made vehicles ;)
UKbusiness wrote:
Fly the Union Jack and shout “Remoaners!” at anyone who is worried about leaving the world’s most prosperous trading block. That should do it!!
Back in the real world, I hope the grown ups get back in charge soon. This jingoistic self delusion is pure fantasy.
scrap wrote:
But it isn't a trading block. Ever since its conception in the 1920s, it has been an insidious movement designed to create a single European state. The initial method of selling it to the people was to represent it as a trading block, but the despicable harmonization legislation, aimed at eradicating national identities, made it clear what the real aganda is, and now they don't even bother hiding it anymore. Juncker and his foul ilk intend to bring about the single state at the earliest possible date, and the rate of its approach is constantly accelerating. We are getting out just in time. What these vile, corrupt and undemocratic EU leaders are creating is a Yugoslavia on a gigantic scale, which will combust on an equally gigantic scale, setting the whole continent on fire. The free and independent UK will be happily placed to watch it burn.