A local ice cream parlour in Lowestoft, Suffolk, inadvertently sparked chaos when it advertised its new “lick & collect” service.

By Ian Bred, Norfolk Correspondent

What was intended as a play on the popular “click & collect” service turned into a delightful disaster when eager patrons descended upon the parlour, eagerly awaiting their turn to partake in the unconventional and, frankly, unhygienic way of obtaining what they thought would be endless free ice cream.

We got the scoop

Salivating customers, with their mouths agape, lined up outside the parlour ready to put their tongues to the test. However, reality soon struck as they realized there was no free ice cream to be had, and the term “lick & collect” was nothing more than a chilly misunderstanding.

Cheeky Manager

Inside the Sandy Toes Ice Cream Parlour, overwhelmed staff attempted to make sense of the situation. Manager Lorraine Fisher – 34, shared her thoughts on the fiasco, saying, “It was meant to be a cheeky marketing gimmick, you see. I never imagined people would take it so literally. I’ve never seen so much saliva!”

Begrudging

With the ice cream parlour facing the sudden influx of thousands of visitors, determined to enjoy what is left of the autumn sunshine, Miss Fisher decided to make amends. She begrudgingly offered free cones to those who had gathered and even threw in some extra sprinkles as a goodwill gesture.

Now that the queues have gone, the Sandy Toes Ice Cream Parlour has corrected its misleading sign, but the incident will forever be a reminder that the miserly people of Lowestoft will queue up for anything… as long as it’s free.