COOLING off with an ice cream is something that thousands of Islanders and visitors are set to do as temperatures soar this weekend.
But just as the mercury is likely to fluctuate, with Jersey Met forecasting a 7°C drop difference in the maximum temperature between tomorrow and Sunday, so the price of a traditional “99” ice cream can also vary markedly.
A Jersey Consumer Council survey has shown that the price of a soft-serve cone with a flake can differ by up to £1.50, depending on which outlet is selling it.
Of seven sites visited by a council representative, the cheapest was the £2.50 cone at Jersey Delight and Le Port, St Ouen, while a 99 at Long Beach in Gorey was 60% higher at £4.50.
Consumer Council chairman Carl Walker said transparency in pricing was a fundamental aim of the group’s surveys.
“We all expect some variation in prices due to location, overheads and portion sizes, it’s quite surprising to see such a wide difference for what is essentially the same product,” he said.
“We’re not here to tell businesses what they should charge, but we do want to empower consumers with information so they can make informed choices – especially when many are watching their spending this summer.”
While some vendors’ prices include a significant increase between different sizes, others saw smaller jumps. Medium and large cones were available for just 10p and 20p extra respectively at Jersey Delight, while at St Catherine’s Breakwater Kiosk a large cone cost £3.95, £1 more than the small option.
The Consumer Council said its survey had specifically focused on 99 ice creams, and covered the entire Island, but that any outlets missed out could be added to its online list at consumercouncil.je.
Jersey Met is predicting that the maximum temperature is set to reach 31°C today and 30°C tomorrow, with the Saturday forecast also including the chance of a thundery shower.
Sunday is set to be less stifling, with the peak temperature dropping to 23°C and just a 10% chance of any rain.
The forecast has prompted a warning from Public Health for Islanders to stay safe in the heat. Tips include avoiding going outside when the temperatures are highest in the afternoon, using sun screen, wearing a hat and loose, light clothing and drinking plenty of water, avoiding coffee and alcohol.
Anyone for ice cream?
Outlets selling ’99’ soft-serve cones, including flake, as surveyed by Jersey Consumer Council
- The Gunsite, St Aubin’s Bay – £2.80
- Midbay Café, St Brelade’s Bay – £3
- Le Braye Café, St Ouen’s Bay – £3.80
- Jersey Delight, Le Port, St Ouen’s Bay – £2.50 (small), £2.60 (medium), £2.70 (large)
- Seaweed and Sand, Les Laveurs, St Ouen’s Bay – £3.50 (small), £3.70 (medium), £4 (large)
- Long Beach, Gorey – £4
- Breakwater Café, St Catherine’s – £2.95 (small), £3.95 (large)
What’s in a name?
- The origins of the name 99 are uncertain. One claim is that it stemmed from how ice cream was served in a shop that opened in 1922 at 99 Portobello High Street in the Edinburgh suburb of Portobello, while similar claims are made about a shop in the Gorton area of Manchester.
- A second theory is that Italian immigrants began selling ice creams using the name 99 as a tribute to the “boys of 1899” who made up the youngest wave of conscripts for the First World War, with the chocolate flake a possible reference to the feather cocked at an angle in Alpini Regiment hats.
