A COUPLE in North Yorkshire have defied the sub-zero weather by opening a new ice cream parlour.

Graham and Chris Daniels opened Archer’s Jersey Ice Cream, in Northallerton, only days before several feet of snow and record low temperatures hit the region.

They worried that the last food people would buy in the Arctic conditions would be ice cream, but the couple have sold out in just one week, and have ordered more to meet demand.

Graham, 58, has seen dozens of families in the parlour and believes ice cream offers a cheap option as people make cutbacks.

He said: “It’s great to see the kids enjoying themselves with our ice creams. Lots of children have a sweet tooth and that doesn’t go away even when it’s so cold.

“Now they are on their holidays they have been coming in for an ice cream fix with their sledges and it’s marvellous, the cold doesn’t seem to bother them at all.”

Graham and Chris, 57, have no background in the industry but plumped for a change after Graham left his job with a building consultancy.

The parlour offers classic vanilla, strawberry and chocolate but also more unusual flavours such as amaretto, liquorice and Christmas pudding.

Father-of-two Graham said the franchise started with the purchase of 16 five-litre pans, which roughly held about 3,600 scoops, but most of this had gone within days.

Graham said: “Statistics show ice cream sales are increasing at the moment despite the weather and the recession. It’s because it is a comfort purchase, people enjoy and feel good about eating ice cream, and also it is an affordable treat.

“If a family of four go to the cinema or a football match, they can spend so much money and people can’t really afford it at the moment. But ice cream is still considered a treat for the kids and it is much cheaper than other options.”