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The idea for G&D’s developed out of the experience
of an Oxford University student, George Stroup,
who founded the business in order to provide a few
very basic things for the local community: great
ice cream, reasonably priced quality food, friendly,
convenient service and a bright, unpretentious atmosphere.
Before G&D’s, Oxford lacked good ice cream.
All that was available to customers was low quality
national brands made with lots of artificial ingredients
and in many cases without any cream!
George and his friends realised that Oxford also
suffered from a lack of bright, easy-going places
to stop in and have a hot drink or something to
eat, without suffering the triple insult of indifferent
service, over-inflated prices and dire food.
George was confident that Oxford was ripe for the
fusion of ideas he liked to call the “Ice Cream
Café”. He found suppliers of rich, buttery
cream and fresh ingredients for creative flavours.
Next he contacted an ice cream machine company in
the USA and asked them to design a top of the line
machine that would always make great ice cream.
(The head engineer kept his promise to make a machine
in the spirit of Rolls Royce.) A central location
for the business was found in Little Clarendon Street.
The kitchen equipment, work tops, tables, chairs,
display freezers and long hours of sawing, hammering
and painting followed. When the dust settled—and
after lots of help from friends—G&D’s was born!
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