Philip Mancini is new UK ice cream champion

WHEN it comes to making ice cream, Philip Mancini takes some licking - and to prove it he has been officially crowned the ice cream king of Great Britain.

Philip swept the board at the national ice cream competition run by the Ice Cream Alliance, collecting five trophies including two champion of champions trophies.


[Pictured: Philip Mancini receives his awards from Zelica Carr, chief executive officer of the Ice Cream Alliance.]

The Mancini family has been making ice creams for 96 years, and Philip used the skills handed down through three generations to melt the judge’s hearts.

“To make great ice cream you need passion and dedication to ensure your product is so much better than anyone else’s,” said Philip, whose family business has been based at the Royal Café, New Road , Ayr since 1925.

“To me, ice cream should have a silky soft feel that melts in the mouth with flavours that light up your taste buds.

“We are always looking to try different ingredients and ideas to excite our customers. For example, we have just launched a new flavour called Blushing Bride which is made from smooth white chocolate ice cream and raspberry ripple puree.”

The Mancini ice cream business was started by Philip’s grandfather Antonio in 1913 and Philip is the third generation to run the business, and he is hoping his son Mark, who helped make the award winning chocolate ice cream, will become the fourth generation in the business.

Philip has worked in the business since he was a boy and when his father, Michael, retired in 1991 he took over the business with his sister Anna.

“We are very lucky to work in such a wonderful business. People love ice cream and no matter what the Scottish weather is doing people still want ice creams,” said Philip.

“We have customers who come from far and wide to sample our ice creams and why not - ice cream is the food of the gods!”

Philip’s haul included trophies for best artisan ice cream, best chocolate ice cream, best mango sorbet and a double champion of champions win.

He said: “We worked hard to get our entries perfect and I thought we may win one trophy but to get five is just incredible – I can’t believe it!”

Zelica Carr, chief executive officer of the Ice Cream Alliance, which runs the competition, said: “To win five trophies is a truly outstanding achievement by Philip and his family. They were up against extremely strong competition but their ice creams were exceptional.

“The ice cream industry continues to flourish and the quality and flavour is increasing every year. The industry is now worth more than £4 billion in the UK.”

The Ice Cream Alliance represents more than 750 businesses in Great Britain and Ireland involved in the manufacturing, retail and catering of ice cream and related products

The ICA has long established links with all Government bodies, particularly DEFRA and the Department of Health (DoH) and is continually involved in putting forward and supporting the views of its members.

Incorporated in 1944, and formerly known as The Ice Cream Association of Great Britain and Ireland, the ICA provides an ever-developing forum for suppliers, retailers, caterers and manufacturers of ice cream products.

LINKS:

www.mancinisicecream.co.uk

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Double celebration as Julie wins ‘Best Travel Agent’ title

AYRSHIRE based travel agent Julie Muldoon is celebrating after Travel Counsellors was named the UK’s Best Travel Agent at the 23rd annual Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited travel awards, as voted by its readers, regaining the title after winning the award for two consecutive years in 2006 and 2007.


This a double celebration for Julie, as this month she celebrates her 30 year career in travel, having worked in a number of high street travel agencies before joining Travel Counsellors four years ago.

“I love working in travel and can’t believe it has been 30 years since I started my career – the time has just flown by,” says Julie. “I joined Travel Counsellors because I wanted to provide my customers with a unique travel service, being available to them around the clock. This has obviously paid off as we have been given such a prestigious award as the UK’s Best Travel Agent. I am proud to work within an industry I love and within such an innovative, customer-focused company.”

Readers of the Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited were asked to rate the quality of service they received on their holidays with Travel Counsellors scoring a highly impressive 99.7% overall in the category.

The awards took place in Bangkok, Thailand last month and were attended by over 100 travel industry professionals. Based on the longest running survey of its kind the questionnaires were completed by 19,248 Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited readers, rating their experiences as excellent, good, fair or poor.

Travel Counsellors is one of the UK’s largest independent travel companies, with over 1,100 professional Travel Counsellors, working from home throughout the UK and overseas. Julie adds; “I would like to thank my customers who may have voted and helped us win this fantastic accolade. It is a public acknowledgement from my customers that the level of service I provide to them is a cut above the competition.”

The company, which now operates across seven countries and is the largest home-based travel company in the world, provides Julie with unrivalled support and award winning technology, enabling her to tailor-make travel arrangements for her customers at competitive prices. Plus because Julie works from home she is available to her customers at a time convenient to them, including evening and weekends. This unique level of personal service has also resulted in Travel Counsellors being one of the top scoring companies in the world when it comes to customer loyalty, with a world beating score of over 90% in its customer satisfaction survey.

David Speakman, Chairman and Founder of Travel Counsellors commented “Travel Counsellors attracts the cream of the industry, and this award reflects the unique level of personal service and exceptional travel advice that each and every one of our agents provides to their customers, and I would like to thank Julie, who has contributed to this success and our accolade as the UK’s Best Travel Agent.”

To speak to Julie about your travel requirements call 0845 058 7221, e-mail julie.muldoon@travelcounsellors.com or visit www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/julie.muldoon

LINK:

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South Ayrshire Council launches affordable housing project

COUNCIL tenants, elderly and vulnerable residents in South Ayrshire may soon benefit from the first Council house building programme for more than 30 years.


[Pictured: Councillor Douglas Campbell, Portfolio Holder for Housing, with the newly agreed SHIP document.]

Agreed at a special meeting of South Ayrshire Council today, the proposed new Council houses form part of the Council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) which aims to provide almost 500 additional houses for rent between 2010 and 2015, to be undertaken by the Council and local Housing Associations.

The plan will now be submitted to the Scottish Government, who provide the funding for social housing via the Affordable Housing Investment Programme.

If the Council’s full bid for funding is successful, a total of 68 new Council houses would be built in the North Ayr area.

In addition, building work is already scheduled for 61 new houses in South Ayrshire, in 2010/11 in conjunction with local housing associations, with a further 90 the following year.

Additional developments are also planned for Fisherton, Girvan, Ayr and Prestwick as part of the five year plan.

Commenting on the SHIP and the bid for additional money, Councillor Douglas Campbell, Portfolio Holder for Housing said: “The SHIP sets out how we intend to start increasing the availability of houses to rent across South Ayrshire.

“We know there is more be done to deliver the number of houses we need across the area. This needs to be balanced against the reality of what we can achieve in the present economic climate, given some of the financial constraints and pressures we face.

“In the course of the coming five years, we will continue to explore every opportunity to develop and build houses to rent for those most in need, but SHIP marks the first very positive step towards that goal.

“Moving on, I am particularly pleased that tenants, residents and landlords have all been involved and a South Ayrshire Registered Social Landlords’ Forum has been set up in order that we can further consult with members, listen to what they say and include this in the SHIP.

“We’re likely to know in December if our proposals to build the first new Council houses in this area for three decades will be successful, but the Council is already committed to improving and building on our existing stock of housing in order to meet increasing demand for houses to rent.

“Our strategy has taken into account the changing nature of this area and is forward looking in terms of how we can accommodate the needs of elderly, homeless and vulnerable people in this community and we will continue to do all we can to deliver on this.

“The SHIP is an important element in delivering the Council’s vision of making South Ayrshire the most dynamic, inclusive and sustainable community in Scotland”.

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Former nightclub with development potential in Ayr for sale

A former nightclub with development potential in Ayr is being offered for sale.


Located on Nile Court, a prominent town centre location adjacent to High Street, the property offers an attractive development opportunity. Formed over three levels within a sandstone property, the 4,600 sq ft former nightclub has been finished to a shell standard throughout with full fit out required. The building would lend itself to retail or office use subject to local authority consent.

A spokesperson for the selling agents commented: “Nile Court lies around 50 yards from High Street, Ayr’s prime retailing location. As such, the premises offer a rare opportunity to acquire substantial freehold premises in a busy town centre location.”

E-mail: AyrshireBusiness@aol.com

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Bar and restaurant in Ayr with development potential for sale

A fully fitted bar and restaurant with development potential is offered for sale in Ayr.


As its name suggests, The Waterside, located on the town’s South Harbour Street, occupies a prominent riverside location. The detached single storey property of stone construction comprises a bar, restaurant, beer garden and children’s play area, kitchen with walk-in chill, cellar and private parking.

A spokesperson for the selling agents commented “This attractive 3,145 sq ft property benefits from a high quality fit out, and sits within a site extending to 0.25 acres. We consider it is likely to appeal to a broad range of licensed trade operators, and also offers potential for alternative use.”

Whilst the property holds a current premises license under the terms of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, there is also scope for residential, office or retail use subject to local authority consent.

E-mail: AyrshireBusiness@aol.com

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Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill visits Ayrshire

THE Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill MSP paid an inaugural visit to the new Ayrshire Civil Contingencies Team offices, located in Robertson Road at Glasgow Prestwick International Airport.


[Pictured: Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill and South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan are pictured holding the plaque that the Cabinet Secretary unveiled during his inaugural visit to the new offices of the Ayrshire Civil Contingencies Team, located at Glasgow Prestwick International Airport, also pictured are representatives from North and East Ayrshire Council along with representatives from the agencies the team work with.]

Employees from North, South and East Ayrshire Councils, who previously worked in the Emergency Planning sections of their respective Councils, have now been formed into one Ayrshire Civil Contingencies Team. The Team was formed following discussions between the three councils about the benefits of merging this service. A Steering Group was formed to oversee the transition and future development of the service.

Since December 2008 the employees have been working together. Funding contributed by the Scottish Government enabled members of the Team to relocate, refurbish their office accommodation to meet their specialised needs and to update their IT capability.

After his inaugural visit, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill MSP said: “Working together with local authorities, law enforcement agencies and other organisations, we are committed to enabling our communities to withstand emergencies of all shapes and sizes where these cannot be prevented. We must use resources flexibly and pragmatically, and promote resilience across the public, private and voluntary sectors.

“The Scottish Government was happy to assist with the start-up costs for the Joint Ayrshire Civil Contingencies Team. This new service will ensure strategic priorities in Ayrshire can be identified together and decisions taken jointly about how the vital civil contingencies specialists are deployed.

“There has been a great deal of detailed work involved in creating this new service which will enable more effective multi-agency working and help the three Ayrshire Councils work together in preparing how they respond to any emergency incident in or affecting their council areas.”

The Team address all aspects of civil contingencies planning, which is governed by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. Under this Act local authorities have been classed as a ‘Catergory 1 Responder’, giving the Council the same powers and duties as the emergency services. Each council has a statutory duty to respond to emergencies, their main role being to care for uninjured people who have been affected by an emergency incident, to assist and support the emergency services and to lead the recovery process.

The aim of the Team is to ensure that the Ayrshire Councils provide a high quality and effective emergency planning service, by working to wherever possible prevent emergencies taking place. If an emergency situation does occur, the Team will make sure that all Ayrshire Councils have plans and arrangements in place to respond to and counteract the effects of any emergencies that do occur.

The Provosts, Leaders, Chief Executives and members of the Steering Committee from North, South and East Ayrshire Council were present were representatives from Scottish Resilience Civil Contingencies Unit, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, NHS Ayrshire & Arran, Scottish Ambulance Service, Maritime Coastguard Agency, Glasgow Prestwick Airport and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.

Everyone was welcomed to the event by South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan who said: “Communities across Ayrshire are diverse, by having one highly skilled Ayrshire Team we know that we are prepared for whatever emergencies may face us in the future. The Team are involved in a range of ongoing training programmes and exercises so that they maintain their skills. The offices have been refurbished to meet their requirements so that they can help prevent emergencies arising and also to deal with them when they occur.”

North Ayrshire Provost Robert Rae said: “I am very pleased that the Ayrshire Civil Contingencies Team is now established. Thanks are due to all the staff who have brought about this successful merging. I welcome and support any initiative that means improved services to the public and prevents duplication of effort. The new Ayrshire Civil Contingencies Team does this.”

East Ayrshire Council Provost Stephanie Young said: “It is good to know that in the event of any contingency, we will be well prepared in Ayrshire. No one can predict what might happen in the future, but having this trained and capable team on hand gives us a measure of security. It is essential that East, North and South Ayrshire work together, and I am delighted to be present at the opening of this new base.”

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Elite Ayrshire Business Circle to meet at Turnberry Hotel

THE next meeting of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle will be held at 8.30am on Thursday 26 November.

It will be hosted by the Circle’s latest new member, Turnberry, A Luxury Collection Resort, Scotland.


Director of Sales and Marketing Stephen Walker and his team will be giving a presentation about The Luxury Collection, a glittering ensemble of more than 70 of the world’s finest hotels and resorts. A complimentary buffet breakfast will be provided, and Turnberry have promised the best pastries and bacon butties in the land.

To mark the occasion, all members attending this meeting will be entered into a prize draw, and two lucky winners will each receive a complimentary two-ball game of golf on the world-famous Ailsa Course at Turnberry. So each winner can enjoy a round of golf themselves, and invite a business colleague or guest of their own choosing. Games must be played by 31 March 2010.

And the meeting will also include the opportunity of taking a guided tour following the recent renovation of the Turnberry Resort.

Members, guests and anyone interested in joining the Circle will be most welcome.

Please e-mail famepublicity@aol.com if you will be able to attend, and bring a business card with you to participate in the Prize Draw.

Murdoch MacDonald
Elite Ayrshire Business Circle
Registered Office
Dalblair House
46 Dalblair Road
Ayr KA7 1UQ
Ayrshire, Scotland

Telephone: 01292 281498
Mobile: 07833 667322

THE ELITE AYRSHIRE BUSINESS CIRCLE

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle is an association founded in 2007 by some of the top companies in Ayrshire.

Its purpose is to publicise its members, and to celebrate and promote the rich diversity of industry, commerce and business services available within the county boundaries of Ayrshire.


[Norman Geddes (left), senior partner at Frazer Coogans Solicitors, is the executive chairman of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle, and Murdoch MacDonald (right), proprietor of PR consultancy Fame Publicity Services is managing director of the Circle.]

Members include the Clydesdale Bank, Ayr Racecourse, Western House Hotel and South Ayrshire Council. and member company activities include broadcasting, building and construction, architectural practice, estate agency and land management, chartered accountancy, insurance broking, legal services, golf club management, marketing services and brand creation, web design and public relations consultancy.

For further information about The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle and to apply for membership, e-mail eliteayrshire@gmail.com

Website: www.eliteayrshire.com

LINK:

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Creative marketing agency Paligap
launches luxury chocolate range

AYRSHIRE-based creative marketing agency Paligap has just launched the “Chocolati” brand of fine luxury chocolates on behalf of clients Renaldo’s.


[Pictured: Paligap marketing manager Nick Lambert (centre) celebrates the launch of Chocolati with Renaldo’s proprietors husband and wife team Linda Galli (left) and Silvio Galli (right).]

Renaldo’s, who have sold luxury hand-made chocolates from their shop in Ayr for years, approached Paligap in August with the intention of taking the chocolates to a wider audience via the Internet.

After a few consultations and some research, Paligap proposed that the chocolates should have their own brand as opposed to selling them under the Renaldo’s brand, and that the best route to market would be direct mail, ensuring a targeted and specific audience.

Using socio-economic profiling, Paligap determined who was most likely to buy the chocolates, where to find these people, and what the chocolates should be called.

The name decided on was “Chocolati”, a sort of merge of Italian and English that just seemed to ring off the tongue and position the product correctly. Packaging was then designed to house the chocolates, and while that was being produced, a direct mail brochure was designed and the chocolates were photographed (none of them were returned to the client).

Paligap then developed a website for the brand that also takes orders, offering another channel to market, and Royal Mail Door to Door was chosen to distribute the mail order brochures to the designated addresses.

Paligap managing director Stephen Cosh commented: “This was a tight and concise start-up, direct mail and e-commerce campaign for a new brand. It was all researched, designed and delivered within two months, resulting in a happy client with another arm to their business.”

Visit Chocolati online at www.chocolati.co.uk

Paligap
Apex House
1 Carrick Road
Ayr KA7 2RA
Ayrshire, Scotland

Contact: Stephen Cosh, Managing Director
Tel: 01292 263777
Fax: 01292 285334
E-mail: stephen@paligap.com
Web: www.paligap.com

LINKS:

allmediascotland The Drum PR-Inside OpenPress PR-GB LIVE-PR

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Ayrshire secures hundreds of jobs

HUNDREDS of Ayrshire jobs have been secured or created with the help of almost £10 million of Scottish Government support, it was announced today.


[CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO VIEW/DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION.]

Investment projects by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Irvine and Prestwick based Aerospace firms Slingsby and Spirit have been awarded £9.8 million in Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) funding, training support and R&D grants, aimed at safeguarding 486 jobs, creating 45 new posts, and delivering a combined £54 million of investment into the Ayrshire economy.

First Minister Alex Salmond visited the Ayrshire sites of GSK, Slingsby and Spirit today where he met staff whose futures have been secured with the help of the RSA funding.

GSK manufactures pharmaceuticals, Spirit specialises in wing components for aircraft including the Airbus A380, and Slingsby manufactures composite products for aerospace and defence industries.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: “The Scottish Government recognises the real challenges that individuals, families and businesses face in the current economic climate, and that is why we are working hard to strengthen the economy and to increase employment opportunities.

“We are using every tool at our disposal to stimulate Scotland’s economy, including nearly £10 million in various forms of government support to help secure and create 531 jobs in Ayrshire and to attract £54 million of private investment to the area.

“I am delighted that GSK, Slingsby and Spirit have demonstrated their confidence in Scotland’s economy, and the skills and experience of the local workforce, with their plans for significant investment in the Ayrshire area.

“RSA and other grants help to attract investment into our communities, create new opportunities for employment and support much needed jobs across the country - all of which are vital to increase growth and ensure Scotland enjoys a strong economic recovery.”

GSK Irvine site director Alan Catterall said: “We are delighted to welcome Scotland’s First Minister to our factory as part of his Ayrshire visit. The factory is investing £31 million over the next three years to secure a robust future. This investment is supported by the £4.6 million RSA grant from the Scottish Government. This partnership will secure 330 highly skilled jobs in the production of antibiotics in Scotland. A training grant of £275,000 from the Scottish Government will provide for additional skills enhancement for the GSK staff on site.”

Scott McLarty, operations and HR director for Spirit AeroSystems (Europe) Limited said: “Opening our new R&D facility in Scotland is an important part of ensuring that Spirit maintains and grows its critical role in the design, development and manufacture of aircraft wing structures.

“We intend to remain at the leading edge of this technology and the new centre here at Prestwick underlines our commitment to that goal.”

Managing director of Slingsby, Steven Boyd, said: “We took the decision to expand at Prestwick not only to tap into the potential market, but also to benefit from the excellent skills base that exists north of the border. We have not been disappointed. I am delighted with the progress in the business to date, and look forward to a bright future based on our ability to innovate and provide cost-effective solutions for customers in the aerospace, defence, marine, energy and other markets.”

Lena Wilson, chief operating officer of Scottish Enterprise and CEO of Scottish Development International, said: “This investment in the Ayrshire economy is excellent news and the decision by GSK, Slingsby and Spirit to continue to invest here underlines Scotland’s position as a first-class place to do business. Each of these companies are excellent examples of forward thinking, ambitious and innovative businesses who set their sights high and contribute significantly to the Scottish economy.”

GSK Irvine will receive a RSA grant of £4.6 million and £275,000 Training Support that will safeguard 330 jobs and secure £31 million of investment to the site.

Slingsby will receive £249,000 in RSA and £348,312 in training assistance which will secure £1,247,000 investment into the site and help to create 28 jobs.

Support to Spirirt of £4,300,000 for various projects is aimed at securing total investment of over £21 million into the site and will help to safeguard 156 jobs and create 17 jobs, as well as keeping the company at the cutting edge of technology.

In the last quarter (July to September), RSA funding offers have been accepted by 32 businesses, linked with overall planned capital expenditure of more than £70 million and the planned creation and safeguarding almost 2,500 jobs across Scotland.

LINKS:

Spirit Aerosystems

GlaxoSmithKline

Slingsby Advanced Composites

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