From Sicilyto your event
Family-run since 1972 — bringing the spirit of Italian gelato to the UK, one cone at a time.
Sunny Sicily, family kitchens, big dreams
Our journey starts in sunny Sicily, where our love for great food and family traditions began.
In 1972, Paolo came to the UK to help his brothers with their ice cream business — and quickly fell in love with serving smiles as much as ice cream.
Just a year later, in 1973, he got his very first brand-new ice cream van. With plenty of hard work, long days, and a passion for doing things properly, the business grew into a fleet within 10 years. Along the way, we became one of the early families bringing delicious whippy ice cream to the streets of Manchester.
Five decades. One family.
- 1972Paolo arrives in the UKFrom Sicily to Manchester to help his brothers in the ice cream trade.
- 1973First brand-new vanPaolo gets his very own ice cream van — the start of the family fleet.
- 1983Grown into a fleetA decade of long days and hard work turns one van into many.
- 2013Filippo joins officiallyFilippo, who grew up around cones and flakes, takes the family legacy forward.
- 2029Going fully electricOur goal: a fully electric, eco-friendly fleet of vans and trailers.
Paolo Salvaggio
Founder · 1972
Born Summer 1954 · age 72
54 years with Whippylicious · since January 1972
Paolo Salvaggio — heart of the family
Paolo is where it all began. Born in sunny Sicily in summer 1954, he carried the love of authentic Italian flavours with him when he came to the UK in 1972 — at just 18 years old — to help his brothers in the ice cream trade.
A year later he was running his very first van. Through long days, hard graft and that unmistakable warmth of his, he built a fleet — and a family business that still serves smiles across the North West today.
Even now, Paolo is the soul of Whippylicious. The recipes, the standards, the way we treat every customer — it all traces back to him.
Filippo Salvaggio
Company Owner / CEO
Born Summer 1995 · age 30
13 years with Whippylicious · since January 2013
From age 9 to CEO
Filippo, our CEO, was born in the UK in summer 1995 — and ice cream has been part of his life ever since. From the age of 9 he was learning the ropes alongside his dad Paolo, quite literally growing up surrounded by cones and flakes.
He officially joined the business in 2013 and has been building on the family legacy ever since — focusing on great service, top-quality ice cream, and making every customer leave with a smile.
Jakub Polewka
Sales & Web
Born Summer 1992 · age 34
3 years with Whippylicious · since June 2023
From Polish coal mines to ice cream vans
Jakub was born in summer 1992 in southern Poland. Before swapping mining gear for a Whippylicious apron, he worked as a coal miner — bringing the same reliability and work ethic to ice cream that he brought to the mines.
He moved to the UK in 2017 with his family. After arriving he worked as a builder, warehouse operative and butcher — picking up new trades and the rhythm of life in a new country.
When his workplace closed in 2023, Jakub joined the Whippylicious family that same June as a co-worker and close friend of Filippo. Today he handles mobile sales and event service, and looks after our online presence — including the website you are reading right now.
Local events, national milestones
From local parties to large national events — we have done it all. Our team are experts in keeping queues moving and customers happy, whatever the scale of your event.
Cleaner streets, sweeter cones
We are always thinking about the future. Our goal is to move towards a fully electric, eco-friendly fleet of ice cream vans and trailers — so we can keep serving great ice cream for generations to come.
Want us at your event?
Tell us about your day and we will send you a tailored quote within 24 hours.