A beloved Welsh ice cream parlour brand has acknowledged that its “standards had slipped” – admitting that negative reviews had served as a “wake up call”. Cadwaladers has been a fixture of the Welsh hospitality industry for nearly a century, with its first parlour opening in Criccieth during the 1920s.
The brand now employs more than 100 staff across six ice cream parlours, with its original Criccieth site joined by cafés in Porthmadog, Betws-y-Coed, Cardiff Bay, Porthcawl, and at Trentham Gardens in Staffordshire.
The chain has been a firm family favourite for generations, yet has been dogged by unfavourable reviews at several of its locations in recent years. Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter.
This month, the company released a video message acknowledging that they had fallen short of their own high standards. The admission has prompted considerable reflection and led to a number of significant changes being implemented, reports North Wales Live.
These include an overhauled menu, a renewed commitment to enhancing customer service, and a rebrand, which is currently under way.
A spokesperson said: “Since 1927, one thing has always mattered to us, and that is giving our customers the very best experience possible. And for generations, we’ve been proud to serve our community.
“But last year we had a wake-up call. We realised something had to change.
“Like many businesses, we’d spent so much time simply trying to stay afloat during difficult times that somewhere along the way our standards had slipped.
“And we knew, with our centenary approaching, that this was our moment to reset.
“So, with a tight budget but a big vision, we went back to the drawing board. We redesigned our menu to make it more accessible for everybody. We relaunched our sparkle values, putting customer service back at the heart of everything we do. We’ve partnered with a local Welsh specialty coffee supplier, Big Dog Coffee.”
The company added: “And finally, the biggest piece of the puzzle, we are so excited to announce the new Cadwaladers brand. It has been inspired by our history, redesigned for the future. We brought back the iconic Cadwaladers arch with a modern twist.
“We added ‘Established 1927’ because we are proud of where we came from. And we kept our open sign as a symbol of something that’s really important to us, that we’re here all year round for our customers, our community, and for our staff.
“This rebrand is much more than a new logo. It’s a renewed commitment to our history, our community, and the famous vanilla ice cream that made us who we are.”
Customers were encouraged to keep an eye out for further updates regarding the rebrand.
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