The first time Amy McKandie played the music on her ice cream truck it wasn’t where you’d expect.
She was driving the newly-purchased van all the way back from Norwich to her home in Lossiemouth. On the way, she noticed fellow motorists waving at her, shouting for a tune.
Naturally, Amy obliged.
“Well, you got your caravans and all that waving at you,” she recalls with a chuckle. “Yeah, I stuck the music on a few times.”
That was two years ago, and Amy’s Miss Whippy van is now a common sight on the streets of Elgin as well as Fochabers, Rothes and Lhanbryde.
It’s a dream job for the 29-year-old who loves her Miss Whippy role so much she’s out selling ice cream every night.
Her dedication is remarkable, even more so considering Amy already has a job – she spends her weekdays working as a full-time cleaner.
“I like being busy,” says Amy, who gets up at 5am for her freelance shift before firing up the ice cream van for nightly rounds. “It’s a tie, but I love it.”
The origin story of Miss Whippy
Amy admits the twin jobs can tire her out. But she loves going out in the van to speak to regulars and delight the local children on her route.
The cleaner can even pinpoint the moment she decided to branch out from her day job. She was sitting on the couch at home when the thought popped into her head: “I think I should just buy an ice cream van.”
Within seconds, she was scrolling lists of potential vans for sale online.
One in Norwich caught her eye and she made plans with her stepdad to fly down. After all, what’s the harm in looking?
“We were like, well, if we don’t like it, we can just get the next flight home,” Amy says. “But I bought it and I drove 11-and-a-half hours home with it.
“Crazy I know.”
Trouble ahead for Miss Whippy ice cream?
Amy’s shifts in the van have been more challenging this year. Rising fuel and stock prices have meant a 25% jump in operating costs. In response, she’s added 20p to her ice cream cones.
A few customers grumble about the new prices, but Amy says there’s nothing she can do about rising costs.
“This year has been a lot more expensive,” says Amy, whose whippy cones now cost £2 instead of £1.80. “I only put it up to 20p, but the price of fuel, the price of stock… just trying to get stock is a struggle.”
Amy remains optimistic and says the challenges facing ice cream vans are still manageable.
People still love the traditional ice cream vans going street to street, and business is holding up despite competition from food delivery services such as UberEats and Deliveroo.
She sells sweets and other snacks alongside the usual cones and lollipops and hires the van out for birthday parties and care home events.
On children’s birthday hires, Amy gives the young birthday boy or girl the chance to pull their own cone and add their own sauce.
The children can’t get enough of it, says Amy, especially when they are then allowed to serve their friends and family.
Meanwhile, Amy’s street-side service remains strong, though she admits the recent sunny spell has made things easier.
“The hot weather definitely helps,” she says. “In the winter it gets quieter. But then I wouldn’t want to come out in the snow for an ice cream.”
When not out at events, Amy’s Miss Whippy van runs a regular route. Monday – Alves, Burghead; Tuesday – Elgin; Wednesday – Lossiemouth; Thursday – Fochabers; Friday – Lhanbryde, Fochabers; Saturday – around Rothes; Sunday – Elgin. More details can be found on Amy’s Facebook page here.
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