Srinagar, Jun 13: People no longer crave for a scoop of ice cream to beat the heat in Kashmir valley as it remained unusually 'cool' for most part of the summer, hitting the ice cream industry hard here.
 According to major dealers and hotels in Kashmir, ice cream sales have dipped by about 40-50 per cent as compared to same period last year due to ongoing cold weather in the valley.
 Hotels Lalit Grand Palace and Grand Mumtaz here said their ice cream sale went down considerably this time.
 "This time of the year, it is generally hot but frequent rainfall has brought the sale of ice creams down by around 30 per cent," said Imran, GSA (F&B Service) Lalit Grand Palace (Srinagar).
 "The consumption of ice creams was around 15-20 gallons per day last year and it is only around 10 to 11 gallons per day this year," said its Manager Subhash Thakur said.
 Owners of ice cream shops echo similar sentiments.
 "It is obvious...We have lesser consumers of ice creams this season. The sale has dipped by around 35 per cent this year as compared to last year," said Fahad who owns an ice cream shop in Maharaja Bazar here.
 Muzaffar Hussain, who owns an ice cream parlour in Lal Chowk, said though some turn up at shops to relish a cup of ice cream in this weather, there is a fall in their numbers.
 "There are lesser people demanding ice creams now...But it isn't like nobody comes for it. Some people want to have ice creams even in winters, let aside this season."
 Kwality Walls, Mother Dairy, Dairy Fresh, Amul and Creambell are popular brands of ice creams in the valley.
 College student Nadia Shah said, "It is icy everywhere ... Who needs an ice cream now."
 However Sumaiya Salam, a class 10th student, is in no mood to give up her love for ice creams.
 "I have at least two ice creams in a day but this year... due the rains I don't feel like consuming ice creams often but still have an ice cream once in two days or so," she said.
 However, there is some hope with the start of wedding season, as ice creams are popular desserts at feasts.
 "The wholesale purchase of ice creams for weddings keeps the business on but still, as compared to last few years, the sale is down, "said shop owner Ashraf Jahangir from Rajbagh.
 But 'Waaza's (chef who prepares the Kashmiri feast Wazwan), like Shareef Ahmed of Ahad Foods say more people are now going for hot desserts instead of icecreams.
 "Its often that, at the 11th hour, customers cancel orders for ice creams and opt for hot desserts at the end of 'wazwan'," he said.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST