Popular Fraserburgh ice-cream parlour Bicocchis has new owners.
It has been bought by well-known businessmen Des Cheyne and Kenneth West.
The pair have revealed future plans including opening new outlets and increasing business.
Bicocchis, on College Bounds, has been open since 1908 and stocks dozens of flavours.
It was sold by previous owners Norman and Lorraine Reid earlier this year. They passed on the business in July.
It is not known how much Mr Cheyne, owner of the Spotty Bag Shop in Banff, and Mr West, director of Banff Springs Hotel, paid for the purchase of Bicocchis.
But the management team will remain the same.
New outlets in future
Mr West said: “In developing Bicocchis, we will be opening up new outlets and looking to increase the business.
“Their ice-cream is renowned for its exceptional quality and traditional production methods. By serving it in our hotel, we can further enhance our reputation as a destination for exceptional gastronomy.
“When the opportunity to work with them presented itself, we knew it was important to seize it.”
He said he and Mr Cheyne had expansion plans for Bicocchis, which is so popular that people have been known to make 400-mile round trips just to stock their freezer with the ice-cream.
Wedding opportunities
One of the markets the new owners are aiming to take advantage of is weddings.
They hope their traditional-style ice cream vendor’s tricycle will be a feature piece at wedding receptions.
And they plan to show it off at the Your Wedding Exhibition 2024 event at P&J Live in January.
Mr West said: “The connection between Bicocchis and the Banff Springs not only highlights the exceptional quality we can offer, but also presents a delightful and unique addition that couples can incorporate into their wedding festivities.
“The ice-cream bike serves as a fun extra that adds a touch of whimsy and novelty to the wedding experience, creating lasting memories for the couple and their guests, and making the wedding truly unforgettable.”