We all have fond memories of tucking into a whippy ice cream as youngsters.
But the classic seaside treat, also known as a 99, (or is that only if it’s got a chocolate flake in it?), often sends me into a state of shock at how much some places charge for them.
So this week to help out my fellow ice cream fans, I went on the hunt to find the cheapest whippy in the north-east.
Read on to find out:
- The full results, broken down into a graph and an interactive map, of the cheapest (and priciest) whippy ice creams I could find…
- The reasons ice cream sellers gave for their costs…
- And what I thought of each destination on my ice cream road trip around Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
I started off my adventure in Cullen, and the sounds of crashing waves and gulls could be heard as soon as I turned off my car engine.
Despite it being bright and early on a Tuesday, it was bustling on Seafield Street.
The Ice Cream Shop in Cullen kicks off three-day-long trip to find lowest priced whippy ice cream
I arrived at The Ice Cream Shop in Cullen bang on opening time, at 10am. It’s never too early for ice cream, right?
A fellow customer secured a few scoops, so I assume he would agree.
Here, you can get a whippy consisting of the parlour’s homemade ice cream – much like a lot of the others I’ll be mentioning going forward.
A whippy costs £2.40, while the addition of a flake will set you back 50p.
A member of the team revealed the price has gone up over the past year due to “everything [produce pricing] going sky high.”
This includes the switch from plastic spoons to eco-friendly alternatives.
I returned to my car. I wasn’t alone on my first trip, but joined by my boyfriend’s dog Denzil.
He looked rather disheartened that I returned to the car with no ice cream in hand. But, the day was still young.
Next up was Portsoy Ice Cream, this time on Portsoy’s Seafield Street. The town was relatively quiet bar the odd local on a morning stroll and a postman on their first round of the day.
There’s not much difference in pricing here – £2.45 for a whippy and 50p for a flake.
But there was a big drop in Whitehills…
A nostalgic whip round to my childhood favourite ice cream shop in Whitehills
I didn’t have Whitehills on my list of locations to pay a visit to. However, as I was driving along the A98, a thought occurred to me.
Whitehills Caravan Park has a lovely wee shop across from the play park, and heading inside to secure a whippy after a day on the beach and rockpooling was one of my favourite things to do as a youngster.
I met a couple outside, Amanda and John.
They had bought a whippy each and went on to tell me they were visiting the area for the weekend, and loved it.
For old times’ sake, I requested one for myself from the shop assistant. It cost me £2.20 for a small, while a large cost £2.90. A flake is priced at 30p.
It was delicious, and I swear the views enhanced the treat even more.
A 45-minute trip to Fraserburgh was next on the cards, although it was a tad longer. There were tractors galore.
Here’s where I visited Bicocchis on College Bound. They use their own ice cream in the whippy machine and charge £2.50 for a small, £3.50 for a large and 50p for a flake.
“The prices have gone up about 10p since the start of 2020,” said a member of the team.
“It’s mainly because milk is more expensive.”
By this point it was nearing lunchtime, and there were college students and school pupils roaming the streets.
I made way for Peter’s Ices in Cairnbulg before it got too hectic in the centre. The drive was stunning and involved passing Fraserburgh Golf Club.
Despite the shop not having a whippy ice cream machine – as it was sold during the pandemic – this made the 20-minute roundtrip more than worth it.
I stopped by Fraserburgh beach to let Denzil stretch his legs before heading back home to Turriff.
A newfound soft spot for Ellon ice cream parlour, which is worth melting for…
Having commuted to Aberdeen the next morning, it was time to kickstart day two of my research.
I drove to Ellon and arrived at roughly 11.30am. My first stop was Hey Sweetie on Market Street.
Owner Cathy Deerin was a delight and treated me to a tasty whippy, made using Simpsons (of Buckie) Ice Cream.
They are priced at £1.90 for a whippy cone and £2 for a whippy tub, while flakes cost 35p. The cheapest so far.
“I took over a year past in May,” said Cathy. “Our prices haven’t gone up, I’m doing my best to keep things the same.
“I’ve tried to take the hit myself, and hope the prices get back to normal.”
I tucked into my ice cream across the road by the River Ythan before making way for Greens of Ellon, which had no whippy machine.
The streets were filled with people making good use of their local businesses. And some, of course, had a whippy ice cream in hand – despite the weather being cloudy.
No sunshine on day two didn’t stop dessert fans in Aberdeen and Stonehaven screaming for ice cream
After returning to the Granite City, the sun was still nowhere to be seen. However, the beachfront was lively.
I visited Inversnecky Café to discover their whippy ice cream costs £3 (plus 50p for a flake), while next door at Promenade Cafe, they cost £2.70 (plus 40p for a flake).
Here, you can flavour your whippy with strawberry, chocolate and banana — to name a few options – for an additional 30p. I wouldn’t be upset about that personally.
There were three more places to tick off the list on Wednesday — Drifters, Aunty Betty’s and E Giulianotti, all based in Stonehaven.
I always forget how stunning the town is, particularly by the beach promenade. You have no idea how difficult it was to not bag a fish supper from The Bay Fish and Chip Shop. I had a job to do.
First up, I was told a Drifters whippy costs £3.50 (£4.50 for a large). There was no additional charge for a flake.
Next door at Aunty Betty’s, a whippy is priced at £4. Again, flakes are included.
Like Greens of Ellon, there isn’t a whippy machine in E Giulianotti on Evan Street.
Did the remaining parlours offer a cheaper whippy than Hey Sweetie in Ellon?
As things stood – at the start of my third and final day of searching for the cheapest whippy in the north-east – Hey Sweetie had come out on top.
However, there were still four parlours left to visit.
Continental Cream in Banchory was ticked off my list first of all. It opened at 11am but I arrived a tad early, so had a brief wander on and around Dee Street.
The heat in the Deeside town was fierce, so I wasn’t surprised when I spotted a few customers standing outside the parlour once it was declared open for the day.
A member of the team told me a standard whippy is priced at £2.20, while it’s an additional 30p for a waffle cone. A flake will set you back 35p.
Tutto Gelato in Inverurie was next, but I spotted a familiar business during the journey. Dunecht Diner.
It had been some time since I last paid the place a visit, however this time it was for ice cream.
Here, you’d be charged £2.50 for a whippy and 50p for a flake. Their prices have always been the same.
I was gifted a sample, and the Rizza’s whippy ice cream was absolutely delicious. I would highly recommend…
It made for a perfect midday treat, even more so since Tutto Gelato was shut. I couldn’t spot the business’ opening hours online either, so all that was left was Oldmeldrum’s The Icer.
A whippy at the parlour costs £2.80 – 30p more since it first opened – while a flake is priced at 55p.
The results in full…
Out of the ice cream parlours (which had a whippy machine) that I visited to find the cheapest whippy in the north-east, Hey Sweetie couldn’t be topped.
While the whippy cost at some shops were slightly higher than others, I believe they had good reason due to the increased prices of their ingredients.
Each trip was a pleasure, and I would highly urge you to venture to one or several of the parlours that have been mentioned.
Does your local ice cream shop serve a whippy cheaper than Hey Sweetie? Let us know in the comments…
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