Dibbley’s in Tynemouth offers more than 30 flavours of ice cream, gelato and sorbet - but passersby may not know that it offers a lot more than your average café.
For owner Debs Yeaman, setting up her own food and drink venue marked a big career change - she used to be in the Army with the Royal Military Police. But Debs, 51, decided to indulge her creative side by venturing into the world of ice cream with the help of her husband.
“We were at this age where we thought: should we do something really different and exciting, or should we pay off the mortgage?” Debs laughs. Luckily for Tynemouth, they went down the exciting road.
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Despite having no experience with ice cream, Debs poured her heart into making the new venture a success, taking inspiration from the café and street food scene down in London to create a place that the people of Tynemouth were sure to love - and the local community was always at the heart of the plans. “I’m a big believer in doing something for your community - making somewhere beautiful where people can come together,” Debs says.
After lots of hard work, the brand new gelateria bar and café was finally all set to open on Percy Park Road - in March 2020.
Because they couldn’t open as planned due to Covid restrictions, Debs and her family quickly had to adapt to keep their new business afloat. Setting up a table by the door and drawing social distancing lines on the pavement outside with chalk, Dibbley’s began life as a takeaway service - Debs’ nine-year-old daughter was even drafted in to help scoop ice cream as the queues lined up.
“It was terrifying,” Debs admits. “But people were so supportive. They would come every day - that’s what kept us going, and helped us pay our bills.”
The support of locals in Tynemouth meant that Dibbley’s pulled through the pandemic, and is now one of the many successful independent businesses that give the North East coast its heart. As well as the cosy and quirky indoor space, there’s also an outdoor seating area ideal to enjoy ice cream in the summer sunshine.
It’s not just mouth-watering Italian gelato on the menu - there’s an extensive drinks selection including refreshing milkshakes, soda floats and bubble teas. If you want to add a touch of glam to your day out at the coast, a wine and cocktails list is available including signature gelato cocktails.
The café offers afternoon tea too, and there’s an ever-changing range of cakes, doughnuts, tarts, scones and more on offer, with the team having just started baking in-house. “We're always doing something different - tell us what you want, and we'll make it,” says Debs.
Dibbley’s welcomes customers from all walks of life through its doors, and strives to make each one feel welcome. In a much-needed help for families with young children over the summer holidays, the café is offering free activity baskets to keep the kids entertained packed with fun things to do including chalk, bubbles, Play-Doh and toy dinosaurs.
The venue strives to be a community hub all year round - whether you’re throwing a birthday party, a baby shower or a book club, it’s all welcome at Dibbley’s. Debs and the team even hosted their first wedding reception at the gelateria last year, with a second one coming up this autumn.
“I would like it to be iconic,” Debs says of her beloved venue - and it looks like Dibbley’s is well on its way.
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