When we were kids we all had our favourite flavour of ice cream, ours was Tiger Stripe which had black and orange colours and tasted like creamsicle. Ice cream gives you a sense of being in the moment and enjoying a taste that reminds us both of childhood but also good times and happiness. Nowadays some of the major fast food chains use ‘food grade paper’ in their ice cream products in order to maximize profits as cream can be expensive when buying good quality end product.
If you want the best tasting and delicious scoops you have to go to boutique and small batch shops where they truly care about the end product quality and doing the right thing for their clients. That is why we are so excited about this interview with Ian Widgery who owns and operates the Welcome Parlour shop in The Shipyards of Lower Lonsdale. They make the best tasting ice cream imaginable and truly care about the end product and customer satisfaction.
How did you get started with Welcome Parlour and what do you like about being at The Shipyards?
Welcome Parlour opened 3 years ago re-establishing a historic company name which was the name of the first Ice Cream Parlour in Lower Lonsdale, and opened in 1909.
North Vancouver is known as a movie filming and production mecca, what celebs have stopped by for ice cream?
We’ve delivered Ice cream to many crews and a few celebrities over the last year, those names of course are private! Lets just say our Vegan Lemon Lavender was enjoyed by a certain female pop star on her last tour in Vancouver and was requested 2 nights in a row while on tour in the city.
What are your most popular flavours of ice cream that you currently offer?
Our signature chocolate orange, maple bourbon and cracked salted caramel are always popular with residents of the shipyards district.
What can customers currently order from you in terms of takeout or delivery options?
Pick up in person from the parlour: scoops, sundaes, shakes, floats, affogato, freshly scooped custom pints & flights of ice cream. Oh! and our new range of candy… we now have over 100 candy lines in the parlour. Delivery with Skip the Dishes & Uber you can order: pints, flights, sundaes, floats & ice cream sandwiches.
In your spare time outside of running the business what do you do for activities?
I write, produce & curate music. Actually, just set up a new recording studio space after a 7 year hiatus. My previous career of 23 years was a freelance record music producer. Some albums went platinum 5 times! Worked along side many “A List” artists. Welcome Parlour developed as I’ve always eaten a lot of ice cream as I’ve travelled the globe with work, seemed like a logical career move when I had kids.
Is there anything else you might want our readers to know about you or your business?
Yes, we’re the only natural ice cream company in North Vancouver. True small batch, freshly made daily and you won’t find our ice cream bases out of a pre-packaged packet like the others… We’re naturally authentic. We love our customers they know the difference in taste and are very loyal. We’re a true micro local business. Every dollar is kept in the North Vancouver community. Employment, supplies and more. #PROUDLYnorthvan from employees to our partners who help us create our vision in business, branding & community.
For more information you can visit their website or connect with them using social media apps on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and read Yelp reviews.
The address location is #126 – 125 Victory Ship Way in Lower Lonsdale.
Email: info@welcomeparlour.com – Phone: 604.408.7481
