As Britain faces its third heatwave of the summer this week, it is not just the temperature that is climbing.
Ice cream prices are rising across the country as people look for ways to cool down, with a single scoop in central London now costing close to £10 in some locations.
Outside the British Museum, an ice cream van named “Delicious Ice Cream” is charging £7 for a simple vanilla cone with one scoop and a chocolate flake — while prices are not displayed on its menu.
The van offers both tubs and cones in flavours including mint, chocolate and bubblegum, attracting tourists searching for relief from the heat as temperatures in the capital climbed above 30C on Thursday and Friday.
Even so, museum staff standing nearby said they had seen ice creams being sold for higher prices elsewhere.
The steep prices appear to reflect a wider summer trend, with traditional “99” cones — served with a chocolate flake — also reported to be selling for as much as £6.
Last weekend, vendors at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone were found selling 99s for £5.
A single scoop of ice cream is now costing close to £10 in parts of central London
In London, a van sat outside the British Museum charged a whopping £7 for a basic vanilla ice cream cone with one scoop and a flake
Aptly named ‘Delicious Ice Cream,’ the van offered both tubs and cones of the sweet dessert for unsuspecting tourists seeking relief from the scorching heat
Staff from the museum stood outside confirmed they had seen even higher prices than that of the van
And according to a recent study by credit card company Zable, the highest average price for a single scoop cone in Britain is almost £4.
The most expensive place to find a single scoop is Porthmadog in North Wales, coming in on average at £3.85 – meaning for a family of four, a round totals £15.40.
Brighton came in second place on average at £3.71, followed by New Brighton in Merseyside at £3.70 and £3.65 in Aberystwyth.
In Bournemouth, a single scoop costs £3.57 on average. This is not far off in Salcombe, who came sixth on average at £3.50. In Whitstable, a single scoop comes in at £3.38 and in both Tenby and Padstow, £3.33.
The most affordable location cited by the company was Barton-on-Sea in Hampshire at just £1.95 for one scoop and £3.55 for two.
Tynemouth in North Tyneside came in second for cheapest – running buyers an average of £2.28 for a single scoop of ice cream. In third place, Ilfracombe in Devon where prices are on average two pence dearer at £2.30.
Portree in Scotland came in joint third at £2.30 for a single scoop, followed by Saltburn in North Yorkshire at £2.37. In fifth place came Whitby in North Yorkshire, where one scoop of ice-cream costs an average of £2.38.
In recent years, staff wages, energy and fuel prices for mobile operators have also risen significantly, as well as the cost of packaging and environmental compliance.
The extortionate prices come as south-east England has experienced its hottest days of the summer’s third heatwave, with temperatures rising as high as 36C
James Goforth, product manager at Zable, said prices of ice cream can vary ‘dramatically’ according to location.
Mr Goforth said: ‘At the most expensive destinations, a simple treat for a family of four can cost upwards of £15 for a single scoop each – and that is before you factor in travel, parking, food, and everything else that comes with a day at the beach.
‘Some of the smallest seaside villages in the country are charging prices that rival the most visited coastal cities – a reflection of just how much limited competition, rather than tourism demand alone, can shape what we pay, even for something as simple as an ice cream.’
The hot weather has also tempted people into indulging in the sweet treat.
The extortionate prices come as south-east England has experienced its hottest days of the summer’s third heatwave, with temperatures rising as high as 36C.
The heatwave officially hit on Monday with meteorologists saying it could continue for as many as 14 days in some areas.
Amber and yellow heat health alerts were issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the Midlands and southern England on Thursday, when temperatures climbed to a sweltering 35C in some areas.
The rising temperatures follow last month’s scorching heatwave, when a record temperature for June of 37.7C was set in Lingwood in Norfolk on Friday, June 26.
That came after May’s record heatwave when a scorching 35.1C was reached in Kew, London, smashing the previous peak of 32.8C set in 1922.
