Yum! Minchella's Xmas pudding ice cream and the year when it first became a hit

Minchellas came up with Christmas pudding ice cream in December 2012 and it looked delicious.

A distinctive raising flavour

Owner Michael Minchella and his son Joe’s creation had all the usual ingredients of the festive favourite, including a distinctive raisin flavour.

It also had a generous dollop of the famous Minchella ice cream.

The public loved it and it was added to the menu at the company’s cafes in Ocean Road and Sea Road, South Shields.

Memories of the sweet mince pie

But that wasn’t all. If you loved treats with a festive twist, a sweet mince pie ice cream was also created.

Joe, 24, manager of the Ocean Road shop which opened in 1943, was the fourth generation to join the family business.

He said in 2012: "We wanted to do something in tune with the festive season so we came up with the Christmas pudding ice cream.

Cup win was the icing on the cake

"Most people love Christmas pudding and ice cream, so putting them together seemed the logical thing to do.”

Joe added: "We firmly believe that the secret to making exceptional ice cream is a combination of the best-quality ingredients and years of knowledge and experience, which has been passed through the family for generations."

The festive flavoured ice cream was already a hit among industry experts.

It was first unveiled in 2011 at an Ice Cream Alliance gathering in Harrogate and it won the Silver Challenge Cup.

‘Something different for Christmas’

Joe added: "The Christmas ice cream has a secret ingredient which gives it a special flavour, but we can’t say too much about that.

"It is selling really well and is going down a storm with the customers. It’s something different for Christmas."

Tell us about the Christmas treats you loved the most from the past. Email [email protected]