WEYMOUTH, Dorset – As holidaymakers descend on the coast for the Easter break, one Weymouth landmark is drawing the crowds—and the queues.
Rossi’s, the beloved ice cream parlour on Weymouth Esplanade, is once again at the heart of the seaside town’s holiday buzz. Despite cooler temperatures following a spell of spring warmth, visitors appeared undeterred as they lined up in droves to get a taste of Rossi’s signature ice cream.
Photographs captured by local resident Dave Stephens show a lengthy queue forming outside the shop, highlighting the parlour’s enduring popularity as the Easter holidays draw families and tourists to the Dorset coast.
The parlour reopened for the season on April 12 and has been a staple of Weymouth’s beachfront for 88 years. Founded in 1937 by a family of Italian immigrants, Rossi’s remains in the same family to this day. On its opening day nearly nine decades ago, the shop famously gave away 125 gallons of ice cream to mark the occasion.
Today, Rossi’s is run by Fulvio Figliolini—affectionately known as “Figgy”—who represents the third generation of his family to operate the business. According to Figliolini, Rossi’s is more than just an ice cream shop—it’s a local institution with deep roots and a commitment to tradition.
“My grandparents were on their way to America but chose to settle in Weymouth instead,” Figliolini explained. “That decision shaped our family’s legacy here.”
In 2023, Rossi’s received national recognition when it was ranked second in The Times list of the UK’s tastiest seaside ice cream parlours.
One of the shop’s most distinctive features is its dedication to its original recipe. All ice cream is made in-house using the same formula developed in 1937, free from artificial flavourings and as organic as possible. The natural ice cream remains the most popular choice among customers. Remarkably, even the signage and much of the interior décor have remained unchanged since the shop’s earliest days.
As Easter weekend approaches, crowds are expected to grow even larger, with many eager to sample a piece of Weymouth’s sweet, creamy history.
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