Heartbroken Aussies want neighbourhood favourite to return

We can still hear the bell ringing and feel the knee grazes as we chased after the truck. 

When it comes to childhood memories, there are plenty of places, toys and 'things' in general that Aussies want to see make a comeback. 

First there's the thought of our children not knowing the real joy of visiting a video store on a Friday night, then there's the famous Sizzler cheese toast, Pizza Hut's all-you-can-eat experience, getting stickers from Granny May's... the list goes on. 

The nostalgia is real. Which is why I wasn't at all surprised by the news this week that people have just discovered they could buy delicious treats that were once delivered to their front door via the Home Ice Cream man, from their state's depot. 

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The neighbourhood favourite is extremely missed. Image: Reddit

The Home Ice Cream truck was the best part of our day

TikToker @littlemissfion took Aussies down memory lane with a recent clip where she tells her followers that they can still purchase their favourite ice cream treats they grew up with via the Home Ice Cream depots in Sydney, Brisbane and Toowoomba. 

It was welcome news to many who fondly remembered the ice cream truck driving through their street as kids, which is sadly not the case for many anymore. 

But let's rewind a little...

If you grew up in suburban Australia, you would most likely remember the iconic blue and yellow ice cream truck. They would ring a bell as they drove slowly through your street and it gave you the same buzz as hearing Mr Whippy's famous tune. The only difference? They sold boxes of different ice creams like your regular supermarket. 

For me, I remember the anxiety of hoping the truck wouldn't drive toooooo fast so I could catch up to him. The mixed box and choc hearts were definitely our favourites and we always made sure we had the Viennetta log dupe stocked up in the freezer for unexpected guests in summer. No one ever came, but the log was always gone by the time the ice cream man returned the next fortnight. 

The business began back in 1959 when Keith Reisinger, a refrigeration engineer in a Toowoomba dairy factory, ventured out on his own to manufacture a superior ice cream using rich, Darling Downs milk from the region.

He established Pixie Ice Cream and in 1988 branched out to launch the Home Ice Cream service. Yes, that colourful truck we all looked forward to seeing every fortnight as kids. 

They stocked dupes of all of our favourite frozen treats - Bubble O'Bill, Splice, Cornetto, Weiss bar, Magnum, Paddle Pop... you name it. 

But while we remember their visits fondly, many Australians are sad to see less and less of the service available today. 

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Home Ice Cream is still available in some suburbs. Image: Supplied

Bring it back!

Many Aussies have taken to social media in recent times to see what the go is with the lack of Home Ice Cream visits these days.  

"Whatever happened to Home Ice cream?" one person asked in an Adelaide Reddit thread. 

"Think they left SA (really miss their ice creams though)," one person commented, while others confirmed the company was only servicing New South Wales and Queensland now. 

"Haven't seen the trucks in a very long time. Maybe they didn't have enough ROI to make it financially viable," another person added. 

Another thread celebrated all those happy memories of what we ordered as kids. 

"Bowen mango bars all day every day," someone shared. 

"Those ones with the red jelly covered with chocolate...goodness they were the best," another person added. 

Another chimed in with: "Chocolate hearts without a doubt."

RELATED: Aussies shocked by ‘little known’ detail on Bubble O’ Bill

Not available in our area. Image: Supplied

Where does Home Ice Cream deliver? 

Kidspot reached out to Home Ice Cream to see where they are delivering these days and they were thrilled to hear just how fondly they are remembered by those in areas they no longer service. 

"We love hearing how much Aussies still cherish Home Ice Cream, it’s been an iconic part of neighbourhoods for nearly 40 years, and we’re committed to bringing that nostalgia back in a big way," Joshua Reisinger, Home Ice Cream's National Marketing and Operations Manager shares. 

"While our serviced areas evolve over time, we still cover a large part of Sydney, most of Brisbane, and a huge portion of South East Queensland. We also proudly service the Cairns greater region and the Fraser Coast Region.

"In the last 12 months, we’ve launched 15 new trucks across Queensland and NSW, including our latest franchise in Hervey Bay, which had a record-breaking launch thanks to overwhelming customer support. And we’re not slowing down! Over the next year, we plan to add another 15+ locations, with the first two already rolling out on the Sunshine Coast, QLD as we speak," he added. 

With all that in mind, I decided to pop in a few addresses, including my own, in the option on their website to see if they still provide the service around Sydney.

Sadly I didn't get very far with all of them. 

"Sorry, we don't deliver in your area," the message read each time. 

Deflated and sad, yes. But there's a little hope still left for us all!

According to the website, the company is always looking for new franchisees to expand once again across Australia, and if you feel like you want to give them an extra nudge, the website reads: "If you've checked your address and we don't deliver in your area, let us know! Send an email to [e-mail] and tell us which suburb and postcode is missing out, so we can work on delivering Australia's Favourite Ice Cream to you."

BRB - off to draft an email. Either that, or a career change in delivering ice creams... 

Originally published as Heartbroken Aussies want neighbourhood favourite to return