Ice ice, baby! From cubes to cream, demand is high during the heatwave

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – All we’ve been talking about for days now is how to beat the extreme heat, and products with the word “ice” in them have been very popular as temperatures have soared across the Lower Mainland.

That includes the cubes.

“Stores are completely sold out, and we are getting a lot of walk-ins, so we are trying to keep up with that demand,” says Jasmin Kambow with Polar Bear Ice in Surrey.

“If anything, our sales have tripled. We are working around the clock, trying to make ice during the nighttime and, during the day, we are just trying to supply everyone.”

Despite the frantic pace through the record-smashing heatwave, Kambow admits it really is as awesome as you might think working at an ice company.

“It can get a bit sweaty when we are running in and out and trying to load up everyone’s vehicles and trucks. But when we can, we go into the freezer and just cool down for a minute and that’s all we need. We start getting goosebumps right away.”

And here’s a secret – they will let you into that massive freezer to sit for a minute, too.

“I mean, if they are purchasing ice, we will give a little bit of a tour,” Kambow laughs, adding Polar Bear Ice welcomes walk-in sales from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

Ice cream is also a hot commodity lately, with shops like Mario’s Gelati in Vancouver seeing business spike.

“In the evening, it’s just lined up like crazy when it cools off a bit,” says owner Mario Loscerdo. “It’s the sorbettos that are the most popular ones right now. They are much more refreshing and cooler.”

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“Lemon, kiwi, mango, melon, lychee… we have several sorbettos and [including gelatos] 78 flavours available you can choose from that are on display right now. As soon as we run out of one flavour, we replace it with a different one,” he tells NEWS 1130.

And when it comes the great “cone vs. cup” debate during this melty heat, Loscerdo is a diplomat.

“It’s up to the customer, we don’t suggest anything. Some people don’t like the cone, a lot of people don’t like the cups because of the environment, so it’s kind of a 50/50 situation.”

But there is one piece of advice he is willing to give.

“Well, what I can say is cool yourself up with a nice sorbetto! It’s kinda nice.”

It kinda is.