South Shields ice cream parlour Cream Curls expands with sites opening in Glasgow, London and the Midlands

The popular Cream Curls, which opened its 50-seater flagship store on Ocean Road in September 2018, is set to branch out across the UK, with a site in Motherwell, Glasgow opening in August and two further premises in the Midlands and London due to open in September.

The business has taken the North East by storm since launching just 18 months ago in Heaton, Newcastle, now serving up their signature 'cream curls’ in Washington, Newcastle City Centre and Ashington, Northumberland. They are also in talks to open a kiosk in the Metrocentre.

“I had no idea how successful it was going to be,” said business development manager, Masood Mohammed, who has been on board since the beginning.

“It’s really taken off in South Shields. We’ve got a great team of staff and it’s a very good location. People say the place was dying for something like this, something unique and different.”

Famous for its handcrafted ice cream rolls, made fresh in front of customers and mixed with anything from Oreos and retro sweets to fresh fruit, they also offer an extensive menu of desserts, sundaes and cakes.

But what’s the secret to their success?

“It’s not just about the product, we like to give customers an experience, from the ambience to the staff,” said Masood.

“The design of the place is very American diner, it’s bright and colourful and it appeals to everybody. It’s a place for families, young people and older people coming in for coffee and cake.

“Nowhere else does the pan-ices, and that is one of the major pulls.”

Cream Curls are now looking to open a distribution centre and office base in the North East as they continue to expand.

It seems that ice-cream lovers even further afield could be wanting a scoop of the action, with interest from Belfast, Canada, and the possibility of opening a Cream Curls in Dubai.

Masood added: “We’re focusing on the UK first, but don’t be surprised if you see us going international soon - McDonalds started with only one restaurant.”