PAOLO REALISES ICE CREAM DREAM WITH TOP AWARD!

Delighted Paolo Loraso says he has realised an ice cream dream by scooping a top accolade at the industry's prestigious annual awards ceremony.

Paolo, aged 34, owner of Loraso Ice Cream, which specialises in providing ice cream vans, modern and vintage, operates in Leighton Buzzard, Woburn and surrounding villages in Bedfordshire.

And his dedication to the Milton Keynes business paid off handsomely at this year's Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show by winning the Mobiler of the Year 2024 category as the great and the good from the country's ice cream world came together in Harrogate, North Yorkshire to celebrate their 80th anniversary with their biggest-ever event.

Makers and sellers of the family favourite treat gathered at the Yorkshire Event Centre to showcase the best of the best with an award ceremony capping the three-day expo, organised by the Ice Cream Alliance, the trade body for the UK’s £1.4bn per year industry.

Having finished third in the 2023 awards, Paolo said reaching the summit is even sweeter before paying tribute to those contestants who provided such stiff competition.

He said: "This is such a ‘wow’ moment for me, a dream come true if you like. I'm competing against such top opposition. I've worked in ice cream my entire adult life and even helped my dad out in the trade as a kid.

"I have had to adapt in recent years due to the problems caused by the pandemic. During that time, I even helped out my community by doing some deliveries of basic essentials and even toilet roll.

"During that period, you really had to think on your feet, you own your own business and you have to plot a way to survive.

"But It’s been great to get back to doing what I do best and this is a career highlight for me there is no question about that. It’s really exciting and I couldn’t be happier."

The Ice Cream Alliance president Katy Alston, owner and founder of Pinks Vintage Ice Cream in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, was delighted with this year's event and paid special tribute to Paolo.

She said: "He is a worthy winner and you could tell by his reaction that winning meant the world to him. It’s great to see. This year’s expo was a big one for us as it’s our 80th anniversary and we couldn't be more delighted. We've had so many more visitors this year at the conference centre.

"It shows the ice cream industry is thriving in the UK and is very much the best in the world. It’s our biggest award ceremony ever and shows that ice cream is very much at the heart of Britain's heritage.

"For me the biggest reward is seeing so many happy children tucking into their favourite treat and we're committed to seeing it continue.”

Find out more about the business here.