WHEN it comes to mouth-watering ice cream Tom Davison has the opposition well and truly licked – after scooping a coveted national award for the second time in three years.
Tom – who has been making and selling his own ices for more than 40 years – was voted the best in Britain in the annual awards run by the industry trade body, the Ice Cream Alliance.
His Italian-inspired vanilla ice cream was given the gold medal in the complete mix category of the competition, which attracts hundreds of entries from all over the UK.
The Venetian Ices business is based in Blyth and also won gold in the ICA awards in 2009 – and Tom would probably have chalked up a hat-trick if he had not been forced to miss last year’s contest after suffering a stroke.
In all, he has now won two gold medals, two silvers and five bronzes in the competition.
The 57-year-old fell in love with ice cream as a child and worked for two years in a Venetian ice cream shop in Whitley Bay after leaving school at 15.
He started up his own business at the age of 17 with just £200 in the bank, and his close friendship with Italian ice cream families saw him spend three months every year on holiday in Venice, a city renowned for its “gelato”.
Tom later moved to Blyth and now sells his ice cream to loyal customers, mainly in Cramlington, from a van plus a trailer which is used for special events and functions.
The Venetian-style ice cream he gets from suppliers is turned into his own personal recipe for sale to customers by the addition of a special ingredient, which Tom keeps secret.
He said: “Making ice cream is everything to me. You need real dedication to make it and it is all I have ever wanted to do. To have my efforts recognised in this way is wonderful.
“I’m over the moon. My customers love my ice cream and some of them have been coming to me for nearly 40 years. I’m delighted that the judges obviously like it too. We use an old Italian recipe, combined with the top-quality ingredients which gives our ice cream that special flavour. I’ve loved ice cream since I was a boy and all I ever wanted to do was run my own business.
“I bought my first van in 1970 and I’ve never looked back.”
Zelica Carr, chief executive officer with the ICA, said: “Ice cream is one of the most popular foods in Britain and its continued success is due to the dedication of people like Tom.
“Every year he works harder than ever to perfect his entry and, once again, he has shown his ice creams are exceptional.”
The ICA awards attract entries from people whose families have been ice cream makers for generations, as well as newcomers to the industry such as farmers who have diversified their businesses from traditional agriculture.
