With scorching temperatures forecast this weekend, many people will be heading to the beach - and no seaside trip is complete without an ice cream that may require a small loan.
Families visiting the Welsh coast this summer could face some of the highest prices in Britain, with three Welsh destinations ranking among the UK's most expensive seaside spots for a cone, according to analysis by credit card company Zable. Porthmadog in Gwynedd came out on top, with a single scoop costing an average of £3.85, while a two-scoop cone was around £5.28. Aberystwyth ranked fourth nationally with £3.65, while Tenby placed eighth with £3.33.
Barton-on-Sea in Hampshire was named Britain's cheapest seaside destination for ice cream, with a single scoop costing an average of £1.95 - roughly half the equivalent cost in Porthmadog for a family of four. No Welsh seaside town appeared in the cheapest destinations list.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves took steps to ease the cost of living crisis for UK households, including easing import taxes on some basic foods to lower prices. Biscuits, chocolate, dried fruit and nuts are among more than 100 products which will see targeted cuts to import charges on food from overseas. The full list will be published next week. The scheme comes as households experience rising fuel prices and brace for higher energy and food bills due to the war in Iran disrupting supply chains.
Locals and visitors alike expressed shock at the prices. Hortense Gregory, who lives in Harlech, Gwynedd, said she would not be buying an ice cream at that cost. Kerri Underhill, from Solihull, paid £20 for four ice creams with toppings in Porthmadog, which she described as "expensive". Local couple Andrea and Ian Merriduw said they usually went to nearby Beddgelert as it was "better value". Andrea said it was "worth paying extra for good ice cream" but admitted it would be "too expensive" for a family.
Helen Holland, from Bodorgan on Anglesey, has run ice cream business Môn ar Lwy for 18 years, but rising production and admin costs have led her to retire this year. "The increase has been phenomenal," she said, blaming shortages of vanilla and soaring chocolate prices for pushing costs "sky high". She said the previous year's drought may have contributed to the vanilla shortage. Ice cream parlours have previously pointed to the mounting costs of ingredients like sprinkles and cocoa powder. Helen explained how growing paperwork, VAT and other business costs had also become overwhelming. "It's just paper chasing, lots of it, so all in all, yes I've had enough."
Helen believes customers understand the increases because everyone is feeling the pressure of rising living costs. "I think everybody is pinching here and there. Having an ice cream or smoothie or something, it's a real treat these days. Whereas before you didn't even think about [the cost of] having an ice cream. Now you've got to make that decision: am I going to treat myself or not?" Helen added that producers working together and buying in bulk could help businesses cope in future.