Northumberland ice cream maker Ciccarelli creates new flavour to raise funds for Children’s Cancer North

Proceeds from sales of Ciccarelli Artisan Gelato’s orange biscuit crunch flavour will be donated to Children’s Cancer North, which supports cancer patients and their families at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle as well as funding research and awareness.

The partnership between Children’s Cancer North and Ciccarelli, which will sell the flavour as a supplier, at its Blyth ice cream shop, and from its ice cream vans, will also involve the charity’s logo featuring on ice cream tubs and Ciccarelli attending the charity’s events.

Ciccarelli boss Domenico Gregorio said the partnership was a good opportunity to “give a little bit back.”

He said: “My father had cancer and my friend’s son had cancer.

“Every disease is as low as it gets, but children with cancer is probably the hardest thing out there.”

He added that he is “proud” of the flavour created and believes it will sell well, generating plenty of funds for the charity.

Abigail Hewison, head of charity at Children’s Cancer North, said: “Every time that they sell an ice cream, the person that is buying that ice cream is helping fund our research, helping fund activities on the wards.

“Obviously I am not going to tell someone to buy it if they do not like that ice cream flavour, however I would like to think that, if you did not know which ice cream you were going to go for, it would sway you to know that by buying that ice cream you are making a massive difference to people's lives.”

Abigail added: “This process has been going on since last summer and we have now eventually managed to bring it together.

“It is helping raise the profile and awareness of Children's Cancer North and what we do.”

The flavour was developed based on suggestions by children on the wards that the charity supports.

The end result was inspired by orange cheesecake and chosen to match the charity’s orange branding.

It received rave reviews from pupils at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, who got to be the first to try the flavour after being awarded the Sandy Weir Memorial Trophy in 2023, recognition for their support of Children’s Cancer North and the Children’s Cancer Run.

Domenico said: “It is easy for me to pick an ice cream van up and come down here. Other one man band salesmen have not got that opportunity, but I have. Some people cannot do that but I am fortunate.”

He added: “It is just nice for the summer time. We are giving away ice cream and it is a happy thing, that is the most important thing.

“I hope that for years to come we can keep going bigger and bigger with the charity.”

The new flavour will officially go on sale for the first time at this year’s Children’s Cancer Run, a fundraising event for the charity on Sunday, May 19 at Newcastle Racecourse.

It will be the forty-first year of the annual cross country fun run, which raised £300,000 last year.