A COUPLE on the hunt for a 99 ice cream selling for 99p have been left stunned by the prices they are being quotes – with some allegedly costing up to a fiver.
The 99 – a soft-serve vanilla ice cream with a Cadbury’s Flake in it – has become a staple of British summers, despite the origins of its name becoming somewhat of a mystery.
With some claiming that the name originates from a group of Italian ice cream makers in dedication to their king, others argue that the name comes from the price that the ice cream cost at one point.
Now, travel bloggers and married couple Ryan and Jade Dash have made it their mission to find a 99 ice cream for just 99p somewhere in the UK.
In a recent video, the duo, both 31, paid a visit to the Lake District, Cumbria, where Ryan, standing in front of Lake Windermere with an ice cream, announces: “Can you get a Mr Whippy 99 for 99p?”
Ryan then approaches their first ice cream van target, where he asks the proprietor: “Would I be able to get a Mr Whippy 99?”
After purchasing the cone, Ryan asks “When was the last time you sold one for 99p?” which prompts an angry response from the man inside the van, who snaps: “They were never 99p.”
A shut-down Ryan walks away from the van and towards the camera as he reveals the price, saying: “£3.50. I didn’t expect anything less from the Lake District.”
The video then shows Jade approaching another ice cream seller, this time in a shack, as she asks: “Hiya, could I get a 99 please? Do you sell a lot of these every day?”
Although interrupted by a bee dive-bombing her ice cream, Jade reveals: “Expensive. £3.30, that is expensive, delicious though.”
Ryan then tries again, this time at a shop as he leaves with the ice cream, revealing a slightly cheaper option this time: “This one was £2.80, we’re heading in the right direction but it’s still not 99p.”
The couple then alternate again with Jade asking at another small kiosk: “Can I get a Mr Whippy please?”
The video then shows Jade showcasing her ice cream, this time with a chocolate topping instead of vanilla.
She says: “I’ve never seen one like this before, this cost £3.50, coated in chocolate, it tastes like a choc ice.”
Finally, the video cuts back to Ryan in front of Lake Windermere as he says: “The hunt for a 99 continues, where next?”
The duo shared the clip to social media with the caption: “Do 99p ice creams still exist? Where to find a 99p ice cream in the Lake District.”
The video has since received over 280,000 likes and more than 1,600 comments from users invested in the pair’s hunt.
One user wrote: “You won’t find anything for 99p in the Lake District, especially Bowness.”
Another commented: “Don’t even live in the UK and I’m invested.”
A third joked: “I heard they sell second hand 99s in CeX.”
Another added: “I said no thanks to our local ice cream van when they said £3.50 for a 99.”
A number of users also claimed that the ice creams were available in their areas for 99p, including the likes of Blackpool, Warrington, Portobello and Cardiff Bay.
Speaking today the couple said: “The hunt for a 99p 99 started because we both love ice cream.
“Especially Mr Whippy – you can’t beat it in the summer, it’s a classic British summer staple and it holds a lot of nostalgia too.
“We started our search around one year ago for fun – because we noticed the price seemed to be getting higher with some costing close to £5!
“We’ve been all over the country visiting ice cream vans and shops hunting for one – from Manchester to London to Blackpool to Leeds but we haven’t had any luck so far. We’re hoping to visit Brighton next.
“The closest we’ve come to finding one was £1.50 in Manchester and that included the Flake.
“We are going to keep searching until we find one for 99p. So if you spot one then let us know.”
