First Person from Northern Ireland Wins Ice Cream Van of the Year Jimmy Robinson, owner of Robinsons Ice Cream in Craigavon, Northern Ireland has won Ice Cream Van of the Year 2021
T
he competition is held every year by the trade
remember, my takings of £76, and thinking this was great.”
association for the ice cream sector for the UK and
“Promoting Robinson’s Ice Cream is very important to
Ireland – the Ice Cream Alliance. Jimmy has three
me It’s been more important than ever with Covid-19. We
vans and three trailers operating in and around
were was one of the first operators in Northern Ireland to
Craigavon, Portadown and Lurgan and in parks in Lisburn
Covid-proof our entire operation to ensure the safety of
and Belfast. He is the first winner from the island of Ireland
staff and customers with the erection of screens, providing
in the 43 years of the competition.
PPE to staff, and ensuring social distancing at our park
“This is an absolutely fantastic honour and I’m
sites with the inclusion of hand sanitizing stations. Winning
delighted,” exclaimed Jimmy. “I have spent 36 years
Ice Cream Van of the Year makes all that hard work
running and growing this business and all the hard work
worthwhile.”
had paid off. And it’s a family effort with both my sons, my wife Carmel and my brother-in-law all working with me.”
Ice Cream Van of the Year, known as the Mobiler of the Year, is awarded annually. Entrants are judged on a raft
Jimmy is the third generation of his family to sell ice
of business attributes and are whittled down to three
cream. It started in the 1950s when his grandmother Cora
finalists who are interviewed by a panel of ice cream
arrived in Northern Ireland from Lucca in Tuscany to make
industry experts – this year undertaken via Zoom. In a
and sell her ice cream. In the 1960s his father (also called
tight three-way contest Jimmy won because of his passion
Jimmy) took the business over followed by his brother
for the business and the service he provides, his work in
Michael. Today he employs 11 people, both full and part time.
the community and his high standards across everything
Jimmy was a full-time Irish International table tennis player and coach when in 1985 his father persuaded to him
from health and hygiene to presentation. For more information on Robinsons Ice Cream visit
to change direction. “Dad helped me buy a CF Bedford van
their
for £800 and we turned it into a makeshift ice cream van
robinsonsicecream/
with a pop on roof and old fridge. I still remember my first day out and how much I loved it, being my own boss. I even 13
Fastfood Professional • June and July 2021
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For more information on the Ice Cream Alliance visit: www.ice-cream.org June and July 2021 • Fastfood Professional
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