Dawlish dessert parlour 'The Local Scoop', located next to Harrisons Amusements on Piermont Place, has just undergone some major refurbishment works.

Owners Jack Martin and Emma Ireland spoke to Dawlish Nub News about the new setup – and what's next for the local business.

What is the Local Scoop?

The Local Scoop opened in the town in July 2020, and has since won five Taste of the West awards for its ice cream handmade on site.

Jack said: "We can be creative with our flavours, on numerous occasions we've had customers who've said they want something, or when we do weddings as well we can make bespoke flavours.

"It's somewhere where a family can come in, and the kids are happy as well as the parent."

Styling itself as a 'dessert parlour', it also offers tea and coffee, milkshakes, waffles, and cookies. It has vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options, and its coffee is produced by a local company in Buckfastleigh.

Emma said: "We offer so many different flavours and sauces and toppings, people really enjoy building their own dessert.

"We wanted a space to make our own ice cream, and a nice space to serve it in."

What's changed?

The changes made to the shop include installing a new coffee counter, getting new chairs and tables, and putting up Dutch blinds outside.

Emma said: "We've had the [coffee] counter built. We had [another] old counter back there, which we had demolished so we could push the ice cream cabinet back and open up this floor space.

"We wanted the room to flow, so when people step through the door, the first thing they see is the ice cream cabinet, what flavours we have on offer for the day.

"It's just taken us so long to get here, from getting those keys, and our initial plans being foiled by the pandemic...there's always been these hurdles along the way, so it has taken us a long time to get to where we wanted to be.

"The customers have been really supportive throughout the whole time, nobody has minded that the shop hasn't been where we've wanted it to be.

"The response from local people has been overwhelming, and visitors to Dawlish as well. The feedback we get from people, and the reviews people leave - it's so overwhelming, the kindness."

What's next?

Jack and Emma said that the business is open year-round, and they intend to be open as much as they can.

They're also hoping to increase their ice cream production, after being approached by local businesses and restaurants.

Jack said: "Recently we've got a unit up in Shutterton, and our intention is to take production up there for next year."

They also cater for weddings and events with their mobile ice cream tricycle, and deliver to Teignmouth, Dawlish, and Starcross.

Click here to place an order online.

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