THE Covered Market’s home-grown gelateria has been going mobile to satisfy customers’ cravings.

iScream has started delivering its delicious products across Oxford by bike and will soon be adding two EAV vehicles to its fleet.

Other city businesses are set to trial the electric bikes, which have pods for drivers and storage on the back.

The company, co-owned by Oxford residents Graham and Jen MacDonald, began delivering by bike earlier this summer after setting up an online ordering platform for customers.

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Mr MacDonald, who runs another Market store, Wicked Chocolate, explained that their latest initiative is part of a deliberate effort to think outside of the box.

He said: “I can’t stay still – I always have to be thinking of another idea.

“The positive of this is that we’ll come out of it leaner, fitter and stronger because we spread ourselves better.

“We’ll be going into Christmas a lot smarter and wiser.”

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It has been a busy few months for the co-owners, who use ingredients, including fruit and honey, from their own garden.

Their summer was meant to end in celebration, with the long-time couple due to get married last Saturday.

They have postponed the wedding until next year, but are pressing ahead with the honeymoon and fly out to the Isle of Skye, off Scotland’s west coast, on Saturday.

Mr MacDonald said: “I’ve had one day off in ten weeks, so it’ll be a nice break.”

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The company was expecting its ‘gelato bike’ to be wheeled out for plenty of money-spinning events this summer, until the pandemic put paid to those plans.

Once lockdown hit, one of iScream’s employees, Lucy Jackson, created a 20-page document detailing all the products on offer and added it to the online platform.

Customers email their orders and staff, including Mr MacDonald, hop on a bike and deliver to their door.

iScream has also linked up with other businesses, sharing the bike with Fernando’s Cafe in Carfax and adding their sweet treats to the delivery service run by Market greengrocer Bonners.

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Meanwhile, the company has focused on better promoting itself on social media and has jumped from 400 to 2,000 followers on Instagram in the last eight weeks.

This has helped iScream reach people who are spending more time at home than ever and footfall has started to increase.

But while the delivery service has proved fruitful, Mr MacDonald is delighted to see customers in person.

He said: “Online isn’t the be-all and end-all.

“The shopping experience is critical for people, as they can make a conscious decision about what they want.

“Events will come back and we hope those people who have supported us will continue to do so.”

While iScream celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 2, the co-owners were still working out what to do with an estimated £40,000 of Wicked Chocolate’s Easter stock.

Almost £10,000 was sold online, with the rest donated to places including the John Radcliffe Hospital and Helen & Douglas House hospice.