Viking Bay, Broadstairs — golden sand and beach huts

Over a century of magic

Our Story

Six generations, one family parlour on the Kent coast, and a love affair between ice cream and the British seaside that has never faded.

The original Morelli's parlour interior in the mid-twentieth century

Venetian wallpaper — remnants now framed in the shop

The back-bar mirror — still in place today

The old soda fountain — retired now, once the heart of it all

Lloyd Loom chairs — woven in 1957, still sat on today

1Venetian wallpaper — remnants now framed in the shop

2The back-bar mirror — still in place today

3The old soda fountain — retired now, once the heart of it all

4Lloyd Loom chairs — woven in 1957, still sat on today

Spot the details we still treasure today

The Family

Six Generations of Morelli's

It began in 1907, when the Morelli family first poured their craft into ice cream — recipes written by hand, then passed from parent to child, guarded and gently perfected across six generations.

From Mario’s first Broadstairs parlour, through Marino and Bita’s fifty-year empire and Bibi’s leap onto the world stage, this is the family line that made Morelli’s what it is today.

1932

Mario Morelli

Mario opens the parlour on the Broadstairs promenade — and a love affair between ice cream and the British seaside begins.

1957

Giuseppe & Annita Morelli

Mario's son Giuseppe takes the helm, running the parlour side by side with his wife Annita.

1972

Marino & Bita Morelli

Marino succeeds his father Giuseppe. With his wife Bita beside him, he spends over fifty years building the family business into an empire — making Morelli's what it is today.

2016

Bibi Morelli

Marino and Bita's daughter Bibi takes over and does an incredible job carrying the brand onto the world stage — from Broadstairs all the way to Dubai and Tashkent.

2026

Giuseppe Morelli

Giuseppe — son of Nito Morelli, Bibi's brother, and grandson of Marino and Bita — succeeds the business as the sixth generation, while his brother Massimo makes the ice cream fresh downstairs every day.

Four generations of Morelli men together — Mario, Giuseppe, Marino and a young Nito — Four generations in one frame — Mario, Giuseppe, Marino, and a young Nito (also known as Marino)

Marino and Nito Morelli with the young Giuseppe and Massimo — Marino and Nito with the boys — Giuseppe and his brother Massimo, who makes the ice cream fresh downstairs every day

The whole Morelli's family and team outside the parlour today — The whole family and team today — including Chris Chalklin and Sao Graciano, who have both been here for over fifty years

From the archive

The Morelli's parlour team gathered in the doorway under the Ice Cream Parlor sign — The team at No. 14 — soda fountain days

The parlour staff lined up outside the frontage in their whites — Front of house, ready for the summer rush

The Morelli's parlour lit up at night in the mid-twentieth century — The parlour lit up for the evening crowds, mid-century

A crowd of children enjoying Morelli's ice cream outside the parlour — Generations of young regulars — some still come in today

The vintage Morelli's parlour frontage with its giant ice cream cone

Broadstairs

Home on the Promenade

In 1932 the family opened the doors of the parlour at 14 Victoria Parade — and Broadstairs has never quite been the same since. Two minutes from the golden sand of Viking Bay, the parlour became part of the town’s rhythm: Charles Dickens festivals, summer holidays, first dates and four-legged regulars.

Grandparents who once queued here as children now bring their own grandchildren. That, more than anything, is what Morelli’s is.

The Craft

Churned With Devotion

Every Ice cream is still churned with the same devotion to craft: fresh dairy, time-honoured recipes and a dash of seaside magic. One hundred and nineteen years on, the ritual is unchanged — make it properly, or don’t make it at all.

Today it is Massimo — sixth generation — who makes every batch fresh downstairs each day. It is why our Art Deco parlour remains one of the UK’s most famous and beloved ice cream destinations.

The ice cream being churned fresh in the Morelli's kitchen

The Flavours

Eighteen Reasons to Return

More than eighteen flavours fill the display each day — from our Signature Soft Vanilla to San Teodoro Pistachio, Piemonte Hazelnut and bright vegan sorbets of Sorrento lemon and Venezuelan chocolate.

Signature Soft Vanilla

Made to perfection

San Teodoro Pistachio

Made to perfection

Piemonte Hazelnut

Made to perfection

Sundaes & Sorbets

Made to perfection

The next chapter is yours

Come taste the history.

14 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs — open every day from 8 in the morning until 5 in the evening. The coffee is on early, the sundaes run all day.

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