Leighton Buzzard ice cream man thrilled to be finalist in prestigious awards ceremony

Paolo Lo Raso, 33, has been nominated for the Mobiler of the Year title, and will find out if he is cream of the crop at a glamorous ceremony at The Crowne Plaza, Harrogate, on February 8.

Paolo's dad and fellow ice cream man, Franco, is well-known in the Leighton Buzzard community, and Paolo started helping him to sell sweet treats at the tender age of five.

The finalist told the LBO: "I'm excited, very excited, although I'm super nervous, too! On the afternoon of the 8th I'm going to face a judging panel and they will ask me 11 questions about the industry.

"If I won it would be fantastic, but to come second or third would be fantastic, too. It's a great achievement to get to the final out of 20 or 30 in the industry."

Together, Paolo and Franco run Loraso Ice Cream, which Franco launched in 1981 after buying a 1967 Bedford CA scoop van. A young Paolo - who says he was "born to be an ice cream man" - could be found picking up stock after his dad’s round, and travelling up and down the country to shows with his parents.

Paolo said: "I always used to come along and help carry gallons of mix, boxes of cones and lollies to my dad’s van. Since then, I have always had a love for the business."

After a stint as a chef didn't work out, Franco bought Paolo his first van in 2009, setting him "on his feet", and the young entrepreneur went from strength to strength.

Paolo's chimes can be heard round Woburn, Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise during the warmer months, while he also attends weekend events up and down the country during the summer - last year he even went to Aberdeen for a festival celebrating the children's character, Noddy!

Paolo, who was born and bred in Leighton Buzzard, said: "I travel all over the UK and am lucky enough to work at some beautiful English Heritage venues, wildlife parks and stately homes. Nowadays our most popular request is to provide personalised wafer discs for companies with their logos and they’re very popular for wedding couples!"

Meanwhile, he has also brought the company "into the 21st century" making sure they are social media savvy.

The competition has been organised by the Ice Cream Alliance, of which Paolo is a proud member, while its aim is to support businesses and "encourage the production of premium ice creams". The awards interview will take place at its very own Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show in Harrogate.

Paolo concluded: "I love putting a smile on customers faces and helping with charity work - at village fundraising events we always donate a percentage of our takings - while at the start of the pandemic, I used my van not for ice cream but to deliver milk, eggs and bread (even toilet roll!) to elderly and vanerable people that couldn’t get to the shops.

"I’m so grateful that my dad bought me into the business. 14 years later, I’m still loving my job!"

To find out more, visit: www.lorasoicecream.com