The world’s largest ice cream shop launches plans for new offering in bid to survive pandemic

Award winning leisure attraction and home to the world’s largest ice cream shop, The Ice Cream Farm, located just outside Chester, has laid out plans to preserve its future and adapt its offering to embrace new customers.

Like many businesses over the past 12-months, The Ice Cream Farm has been greatly impacted by the pandemic and forced to revaluate and adapt its offer. As part of a new strategy to overcome these challenges, the business has submitted plans for “Popsicle Park” an ice cream experience with a difference.

The idea follows the success of the much-loved Cheshire venue’s ‘Drive-Thru’ concept, which launched during the first lockdown back in March as a contactless way for visitors to enjoy its famous Cheshire Farm Ice Cream. The Drive Thru continues to be a huge success and paved the way for Managing Director, Jonathan Fell, to reassess The Ice Cream Farm’s offer.

“Popsicle Park” has been specifically designed for those visitors who wish to visit purely for ice cream or a quick snack. The concept offers exceptional views of the surrounding countryside and features a fully landscaped grassed arena centred around a large wildlife pond which can be accessed on foot, as well as by car and bike.

The new offering will allow The Ice Cream Farm to shift its focus to offer visitors Covid-safe experiences outside, even throughout winter. This comes as many people are realising the benefits of spending time outdoors, with recent research suggesting that spending time outdoors has a positive impact on psychological wellbeing and mental health, as well as lessening the effects of loneliness.*
 

Jonathan, comments: “The pandemic has really made us re-assess our offering and after seeing the success of the Drive-Thru over the last few months, it reminded me how much people love our ice cream and the idea of “Popsicle Park” was born.  We feel this new concept goes back to where it all began for us, ensuring ice cream enthusiasts, walkers, cyclists, families and friends alike all get the opportunity to enjoy an ice cream in the Cheshire countryside.

“Popsicle Park will not only provide a place where visitors can enjoy our ice cream in lovely surroundings, but it will relieve the pressure inside the main attraction improving the visitor experience for all. In such challenging times we all need a place where we can escape from the day to day and I’m confident that creating outside spaces such as this is the way forward to ensuring business longevity for visitor attractions in the current climate.”

Jonathan adds: “Due to the COVID crisis, we have been required to control visitor numbers and have recognised how much this has improved The Ice Cream Farm experience. As a result, we will continue to control the number of people who visit, which will not only vastly improve the experience but also reduce the volume of traffic that we have seen in recent years during peak season.”

Chief Executive of Marketing Cheshire, Joe Manning, has shown support for the proposed plans and comments: “It has been a tough 12-months for all businesses but the leisure and hospitality industry in particular has been hard hit by the pandemic. It’s therefore fantastic to see such innovation and adaptability coming from one of Cheshire’s most-loved visitor attractions. 

“The visitor economy sector is a vital element in the economic wellbeing of Cheshire – it is worth over £3.8bn to the economy and provides over 45k full time equivalent jobs. It is imperative that Cheshire continues to benefit from this momentum and can only do this by providing high quality experiences and products and continued investment.

The proposed new plans at The Ice Cream farm will add to the economy of local businesses in the area and will undoubtedly improve the venue’s customer experience and offer a memorable visit, whatever your budget may be. At Marketing Cheshire we’re eagerly awaiting the opening of the new concept and we’re sure others throughout the region are too.”

As well as developing plans for Popsicle Park, the team has also been busy operating throughout the pandemic where possible and making improvements to the visitor experience. This includes a reinvented food offering called “Sticky Paws” which offers a unique ‘pick and mix’ menu containing wholesome and nutritious dishes, designed to make eating with the kids easy.

The Ice Cream Farm is currently closed due to Covid-19. The existing Drive-Thru is open Monday-Sunday, 12-4pm offering 30 flavours of scooped ice cream and take home tubs. To keep updated, follow The Ice Cream Farm on Facebook or Instagram or visit: www.theicecreamfarm.co.uk

• The Ice Cream Farm is a family friendly tourist attraction located in the heart of the Cheshire countryside.
• The attraction welcomed over 800,000 visitors in 2018.
• Celebrating 33 years in business, The Ice Cream Farm began when forward-thinking dairy farmers, the Fell family, saw diversification opportunities for their dairy farm in the 1980’s.
• With growing numbers, The Ice Cream Farm tourist attraction reached capacity in 2013, when the £5million redevelopment was undertaken to meet demand. 
• Re-launching in July 2015, The Ice Cream Farm now offers an amazing flavour of activity. From ‘Strawberry Falls’ adventure golf and ‘Honeycomb Canyon’, Europe’s Largest Sand and Water Play, to ‘Daisy’s Garden’, a free play experience with a difference that includes a snow-emitting, life-size magical ice cream tree, there are activities available for the whole family, not just delicious ice cream!