An ICE CREAM WAR has kicked off in a small market town in Cambridgeshire after a seller was booted out of the park where he has been selling cones for 15 YEARS.
Frank Cannata, who runs Frank’s Ices, was asked to leave Wisbech Park, owned by Fenland District Council, after new tenants took over the café – and installed an ice cream machine.
The 67-year-old, whose dad set up the business in 1957, and has hundreds of loyal customers, is now giving away FREE ice cream to customers every Saturday from a road next to the park.
Frank’s wife, Jo Cannata, said they are angry that they were not given a chance to negotiate with the new café owners or offered an alternative pitch.
“We emailed Fenland District Council asking if we could still trade, then about five weeks later we were told the new café tenants had an ice cream machine,” she said.
“We were just told we couldn’t be in the park anymore, which is such a shame as we’ve been there for 15 years and got lots of lovely loyal customers.”
Frank, who has had his own ice cream van from the age of 17 and took over Frank’s Ices when his dad, also called Frank, retired in 1990, has traditionally sold ice creams in Wisbech Park on Saturdays and during school holidays from April 1 to the end of September.
The café is inside a pavillion, which is owned by Fenland District Council but managed by Wisbech Town Council.
It opened last summer and was initially operated by Crazy Cow Catering, but when the owners left after several months it was put out to new tender and re-opened in March as Wisbech Park Café.
It now operates from 8am to 8pm,, seven days a week and had an introductory offer of an ice cream cone and a flake for just £1 throughout March and is now selling cornets for £2.
Mr Cannata said he had been one of the unsuccessful applicants to take over the café when it was first advertised last year but came to an amicable agreement with Crazy Cow which allowed them to sell ice creams, but no drinks when the café was open.
Jo added: “We have no animosity towards the council, it’s the way it has all been done. We feel the new café tenants didn’t need to have an ice cream machine.
“Their main income is food and drink, not ice cream, our main income is ice cream and that’s like going into town and having a mobile phone shop next to a mobile phone shop, you’re not going to shut one of those down because they’re both selling the same stuff.
“We weren’t even asked to go to have a meeting and discuss with him to see if we could come to a compromise. It was just a sorry you can’t trade in the park anymore.”
Frank’s Ices has now set up a Facebook page to keep in touch with their loyal customers and has been giving away free ice creams on Saturday, with more than 1,400 handed out last weekend.
Jo said: “We think there is enough room in the park for both of us. This is our main income, this is what we live off.”
She said the council has now asked them to apply for a street trading licence and they hope to be able to sell from a street next to the park.
She added: “I hope we get it because lots of people have come up to us and said it’s ridiculous, you’ve been here for years and years and we all love you.
“In the meantime we are giving out free ice creams on Saturdays and people can make a donation to charity if they want.
“It’s not about the money, it’s the principle and if we have to give ice creams away for a year, so be it.”
Didem Ucuncu, a Labour party candidate in Wisbech East, wrote on Facebook: “It was lovely to meet you today and great to see such a big turnout. We will fight to get you back to where you belong. Just know you aren’t alone.”
Fenland District Council said: “Unfortunately, we’re not able to provide a comment on this as we’re currently in the pre-election period when there are restrictions on local authority communications.”
Wisbech Park Café has been contacted for a comment.
