The takeover of a city park café has proved a sweet success, with the ice cream specialist behind it reporting a "fantastic" welcome. The award-winning Ciccarelli Italian Gelato moved into the café at Paddy Freeman's Park in High Heaton after it closed under new management, and has been whipping up interest ever since.
Award-winning gelato arrives in High Heaton
The Northumberland-based favourite, a regular winner at ice cream awards for its Italian-style gelato and sorbets, has added hot and cold drinks, snacks and other treats to the menu. The reopening of the café, along with that of the café in Exhibition Park where local doughnut and coffee chain Deep North now operate, has been warmly welcomed.
Newcastle City Council posted news on its Facebook page, along with a video, about Ciccarelli's first weeks of business. It said: "A taste of Italy has arrived - and visitors are loving it!"
Council praises first month
"Ciccarelli Italian Gelato has enjoyed a fantastic first month since opening in the café in Paddy Freeman's Park, serving up award-winning gelato, coffee, refreshments and plenty of smiles along the way." It added: "The team also have exciting plans in store once refurbishment works are complete, helping make the café an even bigger destination for park visitors."
The council says improving the city's parks and green spaces is one of its key objectives, with a £1.4m investment planned. Work is also ongoing to find a new operator for the café in Leazes Park.
Local ingredients and future plans
At the time it won the contract to take over the venue, the Gregorio family, who run Ciccarelli which has a parlour at South Beach in Blyth and also sells from ice cream vans and through partner venues, had identified a local need for residents as well as for staff and visitors at the nearby Freeman Hospital. Organic milk and cream from Bays Leap Dairy Farm at Heddon-on-the-Wall is used in their home-made gelato, made the traditional Italian way using skills honed since the business was established in 1966.
Flavours currently on sale include rum and raisin, mint choc chip, a pink and blue 'unicorn' gelato, and a recent 'flavour of the week' was 'birthday cake'. Director Domenico Gregorio explained in the video clip: "Long term plans, we want to introduce more flavours and a bigger professional ice cream display." Of the new venture's reception, he said: "It's been really, really good. We've had great weather; it's been an absolutely fantastic summer, which has helped us along."
Comments in response to the post include: "Usually drive to Blyth for Ciccarelli ice cream but now it's on my doorstep! Yay" and "loved the ice cream". Another wrote "lovely friendly staff, they never stopped yesterday" and one added: "Sooo so pleased our local park (Paddy's Park) cafe has reopened. The park is buzzing again, and the facilities in the cafe mean people can stay in the park much longer."
