Cornish ice cream, made to be shared.

Our story

Rooted in Cornwall.

Crafted with care.

Kelly’s of Bodmin has been part of Cornwall’s ice cream story since the late 1800s – and at heart, it’s still proudly a family business.

Our story begins when Joseph Staffieri relocated from Italy to Cornwall in the late 19th century. In true Italian tradition, Joseph began making ice cream to sell to local people in and around St Austell. That simple beginning – making something delicious, using care and quality ingredients – is still at the heart of Kelly’s today.

The business grew through the family, and it was Joseph’s son-in-law, Lazero, who had the vision to take Kelly’s out on the road. Starting with a horse and cart, he travelled Cornwall selling the famous “penny licks” – and demand quickly grew. Before long, extra carts, horses and employed drivers were added as regular rounds expanded across the county.

In 1928, Kelly’s entered a new era when the company became mechanised with a Morris van converted from a milk float, followed soon after by a motorbike and sidecar unit. From then on, there was no slowing down – and by the early 1950s, a fleet of around 40 vans was travelling across Cornwall, bringing a firm family favourite to beaches, towns and villages far and wide.

Kelly’s continued to lead the way as tastes and times changed. Alongside our range of scooping flavours, we introduced soft whip ice cream to Cornwall as early as 1960. Today, our fleet includes both scooping and soft whip vans, plus a carefully selected range of quality ice lollies – perfect for every age and every occasion.

You’ll find Kelly’s vans across Cornwall and the South West – on beaches such as Polzeath, Harlyn Bay, Constantine and Charlestown, in towns and villages, and at venues and events throughout the region. You can also visit our Kelly’s of Bodmin parlours, including Padstow (harbour front) and Charlestown.

Most importantly, Kelly’s remains in the Kelly family.

For decades, the company was successfully run by Philip Kelly, Joseph’s great grandson, who served ice cream at his first Cornwall Show over 50 years ago and oversaw the fleet from our central hub at Bodmin Business Park. While Philip has now stepped back from the day-to-day running of the business, he remains actively involved, helping to protect the standards, heritage and reputation that generations of customers know and love.

Today, the next generation continues that story with Karenza, Philip’s daughter, playing a key role in guiding Kelly’s forward while staying true to the family values that have shaped the business for well over a century.

From our first handmade batches to the vans you see today, Kelly’s of Bodmin has always been about family, Cornwall, and making memories – one scoop at a time.