Luxury Ice Cream Company in York sold to new owners

The Luxury Ice Cream Company (LICC), based in Back Swinegate, has been sold and will soon welcome a brand-new team.

It comes after the business’s current owners, Steph Blair and her partner, have announced that they are to take a step back from the company after more than six years.

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Speaking to their 9,363 followers on Instagram, the pair – who also own The Kings Inn in the Shambles – said that it was with a “proud, happy and full heart” that they were selling the LICC.  

The statement read: “We couldn’t be happier with the people we have decided to sell to and know that they will continue the legacy of LICC to the best of their abilities.

“It’s been in the works for some time now but we’re adamant we sold to the right people.”

The pair took on the company in August 2019 – a “huge leap of faith” they said, which was only amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The owners said: “We got stuck in straight away, learned the ropes and opened on one of the busiest weekends in York.

“Our child was only eight-months-old, we had another thriving business, and we didn’t know that we would soon face arguably the weirdest time of our lives – Covid.”

‘It was a place of such joy’

The pair admitted that settling into the day-to-day running of their second company had been “tough at first”.

But with perseverance and training, they had grown the business – redistributing produce to other local businesses, homes and children’s birthday parties.

The company also won several competitions and received hundreds of positive 5-star Google reviews.

The years, Steph and her partner said, have “flown by”.

They added: “We have experience personally from some real highs and some troublesome lows, but at the end of the day, LICC was a place that brought us such joy.

“Who could be mad or sad when the sole purpose of your day was gelato?

“Thank you to every single person who has supported us along the way.

We are eternally grateful, but the time has come to pass our little baby on.”

The couple said they would be available to help with LICC’s new owners throughout the transition.