Call it SUPs and scoops.
Paddle boarding saw a sweet twist in July when Red Paddle Co. and urban ice cream brand, Northern Bloc, partnered up to create the world’s first paddleboard ice cream parlor over in the UK.
The PUP (Paddle Up Parlor) debuted its vegan ice cream at the UK’s only Dog SUP Surfing Championships on Branksome Dene Chine beach, to rave, mouth-licking reviews.
“The event brought together lovers of dogs and the sea for a fun-packed day of surfing and paddleboarding competitions, as well as live music, drink and food — including ice cream,” said Red Paddle Co.’s Charlie Green.
To keep the Northern Bloc parlor afloat, Red Paddle Co. built its biggest board, a 17-foot-long XL Ride inflatable SUP with waterproof cooler bags and an eight-passenger capacity. The carbon-friendly PUP SUP served up vegan flavors: Vegan Chocolate and Honeycomb, plant-based chocolate ice cream with honeycomb pieces, and new Vegan Chocolate Stracciatella, plant-based chocolate ice cream with dark chocolate flakes.
“It was a cool idea as it captured the feel of the summer and beach life perfectly,” said imbiber Jamie of East Ardsely, near Leeds. “it’s great to be able to try out different areas and experience new things, so it was definitely worth paddling out to the paddleboard parlor for a taste of ice cream. Uptake of the sport would be even greater than it is already if there was free Northern Bloc ice cream at the end of every paddle!”
Just in time for National Ice Cream Month, the event saw plenty of strokes and scoops the entire weekend. “It was great to see local paddleboard enthusiasts putting the parlor to the test and jumping on board to satisfy their craving,” said co-founder and director at Northern Bloc, Josh Lee recounts,
Both companies hope to carry this momentum from the event into other events this fall.
—By Izzy Rillos
