An ice cream parlour has opened in a thatched cabin in north Norfolk which had been derelict for 13 years.
The Cabin ice cream shop has moved into the ‘collector's cabin’ in North Lodge Park, Cromer, serving up an array of flavours of homemade Italian gelato.
The owners of the Cabin, Steve and Clare Gornall, run the business with their son James, daughter Sophie and her partner Liam.
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Mrs Gornall said: “We’ve been busy so far.
“It’s been a slow process, but we finally got there in the end.
“We’ve been so taken aback by the local support for us. We’ve been welcomed with open arms.”
The family’s homemade gelato is made using a secret recipe passed down by an Italian ice cream maker who they have been receiving lessons from after meeting at an ice cream convention.
The Gornalls previously had a pitch for their ice cream van at the top of East Runton beach for three years.
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Tim Adams, the leader of North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) and ward councillor for Cromer Town, said the council-owned building had remained empty for “far too long”.
“One of my targets is to ensure all of our empty commercial units are in use,” Mr Adams said.
“This was always one we knew had potential because of footfall.
“It had been empty for an awfully long time. The structure has been there since the 1930s, and it has seen a lot of change over the years – which includes being damaged by a bomb in the Second World War.
“It’s a really good business that has now gone in and I’m sure they will make a success of it.”
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