Ice Master

«I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream», is the utterly inspired chant by one of the key characters in a film portraying a trio of escaped convicts… no, not Oh Brother Where Art Thou… It’s an earlier film, but one that shares a strikingly similar sentiment, treatment and ultimate message. Like Oh Brother, it wraps the most profoundest ideas in humour, as do all the essential truths in life as far as I can tell, whether they be real of fictionalised… And what has this got to do with Ice Master? The answer to that is simple. Nothing! It’s just that I can’t contemplate ice cream these days without the «I scream, you scream…» mantra kicking off inside my head… so I thought I’d share!
Ice Master is part of Rainbow Bargain, a huge home and garden store, which occupies the former Methodist Church where Wellfield Road meets Albany Road in Roath. As this rather large shop is seemingly manned singlehandedly by the very lovely husband and wife team of Tiziano Cirillo and Hui Cirillo, there is, somewhat unsurprisingly, a notice asking you to ring a bell for service. The access to the ice cream shop is garnered exclusively from the street, and so if one of the two of them stood in wait for customers to arrive, they would not only get pretty bored as they’d have very little to do, but the adjoining shop would be flung into a state of pure chaos behind them!
Rainbow Bargains appears to be manned by the couple alone, which is startling if it is true. Although small by comparison to other DIY, garden and home centres, they still carry an inordinate amount of stock, some of which is very heavy. I can’t imagine the shelves being replenished by only two people, (may be they get the crew in to do this when the store is closed? I hope so!)
It’s my considered opinion, especially in view of the meagre staffing levels, that the ice cream concession is just a little bit crazy. I’m regularly guilty of trying to bite off more than I can chew in this world… it seems I’m not alone! Perhaps the «I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream» adage will take on a whole new meanin

This little Ice Master ice cream booth is a bit tucked away under an arched doorway next to Rainbow Bargain, and is in fact housed in part of the same building, a former church on the corner of Wellfield Road and Albany Road.
IAMSUBZERO (new name for Mr Creemy) is available here. It’s a great idea for a side-​business because as far as I know there’s no where else around this part of Roath selling soft scoop ice creams in cones, and since this place is only a short stroll away from Roath Park it makes a good stopping off point en route. As they’re generally busy in the main shop, you have to ring a bell to get their attention — then someone will soon come to serve you!