Brighton Mr Tipsy speaks out after ice cream crime concerns

Tom Gathercole, 24, waits with bated breath to see whether he can sell his boozy ice creams in Brighton amid concerns drunken revellers might cause crime and need ambulance call-outs after eating the desserts.

The objection from a senior council official led one politician on the licensing committee to remark “I had to check April Fool’s Day hadn’t come early”.

READ MORE: Fears people may get drunk on alcoholic ice creams

The strongest of Mr Tipsy’s iced offerings – “Tequiling Me Softly” – is one unit of alcohol per scoop.

This means would-be crime causing revellers, according to the NHS, would need to gulp down ten scoops to drink the equivalent of a bottle of wine.

A selection of Mr Tipsy ice creams

But a licensing panel will now decide on the George Street shop’s future after the anonymous council official, described as “the guardian of the council’s licensing policy”, submitted an objection.

When contacted by The Argus, Mr Gathercole said: “No, we do not think our ice creams will contribute to crime in the area.

“We were surprised at the objections because it’s ice cream – you’re going to get very full-up before you get tipsy.

“It all depends on the licence, but we are really excited and it will be a dream come true opening in Brighton.

Mr Tipsy - Tom Gathercole - in the kitchen

“All I want to do is use our years of cocktail experience and put that into our amazing tasting ice creams.”

The council official objected, believing the parlour could worsen alcohol-related crime, health problems and A&E call-outs in an area already one of the city’s worst.

An objection from the police, Mr Gathercole said, was withdrawn after the he agreed not to sell other alcohol with the ice creams.

A council official warned the ice cream parlour might lead to increased ambulance call-outs

The council organised a formal meeting and the East Horsley man faced a grilling by Green politicians concerned about how the boozy the ice creams would be.

They were worried how drunk punters would get after having a couple of scoops.

“You would need a really large amount of ice cream to get drunk and the maximum we sell is two scoops,” he said.

A selection of Mr Tipsy ice creams

“If someone wanted to come have seconds, they might have four but you can’t really imagine people more than that.”

Brighton and Hove City Council is now deciding on the shop’s future. If he is allowed, the alcoholic ice cream offerings will be no more than 70 per cent of the total ice creams on offer.

He said: “It’s been a tough year started just before Covid with so much planned from festivals to weddings, but they were all cancelled.

“If we get the Brighton premises, we are looking to working with Unbarred and Brighton gin – some cool collabs there.”

Tom Gathercole

The council has been urged to give the green light to Mr Gathercole’s shop by opposition councillors on the licensing committee.

Labour’s Chris Henry said: “I had to check April Fool’s Day hadn’t come early, because the idea of tourists choosing to eat several ice creams on their day-trip to the city to get drunk, rather than sample the host of options available in the brilliant bars, cafes and restaurants is staggering.

“What’s next? Will we ban the seafront chip shops selling beer-battered cod?”

Conservative Dee Simpson said: “This type of ice cream can be easily bought in a supermarket and the alcohol content in a scoop is fairly low.

“If people want to get drunk there are many ways for them to do so – I don’t think consumption of ice cream would be first on their list.”