If you can’t lick em, join em

Nicholas Wynne, Mr Whippy, hands over his last ice-cream to Glenda Eden, Mrs Whippy’. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

She's the coolest mother and grandmother in the world. Not just because she's a good cook, or because she gives lots of cuddles – but because she owns an ice-cream truck.

Not just any old ice-cream truck: Glenda Eden is the newest owner of an iconic Mr Whippy.

'The kids love it. My grandchildren just think I'm the best nana in the world because I own an ice-cream truck. They'll be the first in line”.

In his 30th year of operation, Nicholas Wynne is handing over the keys to his red and white truck.

Glenda will be operating under the same Mr Whippy brand, 'but people will most likely call me Mrs Whippy”. She's fine with that.

'I'm excited,” says Glenda. 'I'm a people person.”

It will be the same colours, the same ‘Greensleeves' jingle you'll hear coming down the road, and the same soft-serve recipe. Except Mrs Whippy will be driving brand new wheels.

She's been in Tauranga for about six years and five months ago decided to approach Mr Whippy about his truck.

'I saw the little truck while on the Mount Main Beach and I said to my husband: ‘I want to buy that little truck'.”

Originally from Taupo, Glenda has experience in retail and hospitality, but she's never been the face of a popular ice-cream brand before.

So why give up restaurants for an ice-cream truck? 'Just a change and a good challenge,” says Glenda. 'Plus I'm a great believer that ice cream makes people happy. It makes them smile.”

She's had three-days of solid training, learning how to chocolate dip and serve an ice-cream with just the right amount of sprinkles, with a Mrs Whippy in Auckland. 'It was fantastic,” says Glenda. 'Apparently I'm a natural Mrs Whippy.”

Mr Whippy, Nicholas Wynne, served his last ice-cream to Glenda during a photoshoot with The Weekend Sun this week, who got the ‘scoop' on this story. It wasn't chocolate dipped with a flake in it, it wasn't layered in sherbet – it was a simple, vanilla, soft serve.

So how's he feeling on the other side of the window? 'I don't know,” he says, but then he starts to reminisce.

'I've made some wonderful friendships in this job and met a lot of people. The loveliness about it is I remember children's mothers come up to me and say: ‘This man used to serve me ice creams when I was little'.”

Nicholas welcomes Glenda to the Mr Whippy brand and is happy to know it is able to continue, with two Mr Whippy trucks operating in Tauranga.

Keep an eye out for Glenda, aka Mrs Whippy, on the streets of Mount Maunganui, Tauranga and as far as Katikati.

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