Sweet deal as Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream sign at Chinatown London

Shaftesbury has today announced that Filipino ice cream parlour, Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream, has signed for a new site in Chinatown London, one of the West End’s most iconic destinations. In addition, Taiwanese fruit tea brand, YiFang, has opened its debut permanent site in Chinatown London.

Located at 32 Newport Court, the unit covers 315 sq ft and will have space for approximately 20 covers. The new Chinatown London site is due to open in July. Designed by an in-house team, the interior of the new parlour will contrast between tropical prints and industrial elements, featuring neon lights, marble table tops, pink velour seating, climbing plants and a traditional Filipino chandelier made from mother of pearl.  The store will also feature artwork dedicated to showcasing revolving art from Filipino communities.

The menu will include a range of ice cream flavours with an Eastern influence such as black coconut, and ube (a purple coloured yam from the Philippines), as well as Mamasons’ signature dessert, the ‘Bilog’, which is a traditional milk bun filled with ice cream, toasted in a bespoke hot press and dusted with icing sugar. Everything on offer will be made fresh onsite every day using authentic ingredients sourced from specialist suppliers.

In addition, YiFang has recently opened a 100 sq ft kiosk at 104 Shaftesbury Avenue, the brand’s first permanent location in the UK. Serving up recipes inspired by the founder’s great grandmother, the brand offers 20 varieties of traditional and contemporary Asian tea, including their three signature teas: Fruit Tea, Fresh Milk Tea with Pearl, and the popular Brown Sugar Milk with Pearl known as the ‘YiFang Mud Flip’.  
 
Commenting on the news, Julia Wilkinson, Head of Group Restaurant Strategy at Shaftesbury, said: “We are delighted to announce that Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream has chosen to join the world class line-up of East Asian restaurants at Chinatown London in the heart of the West End. Their fusion of traditional Filipino recipes and flavours with modern tastes perfectly reflects our strategy to curate Chinatown London as a destination that embraces East Asia traditions alongside modern culture. In addition, YiFang’s decision to choose Chinatown London for their first permanent store is testament to the destinations reputation as the leading location for authentic Chinese and East Asian food and experiences in London.”

Omar Shah, co-founder of Mamasons said: “Filipino cuisine is synonymous with a tradition of creating and serving food with great love, and as a London born Filipino, I wanted to bring this experience to the capital. What we offer is about more than just ice cream, it’s about creating a cultural experience and sharing this with our new customers in Chinatown London. This world famous destination is the perfect location for us and we are very excited to open next month.”

Pokai Wang of YiFang, added: “We are excited to have opened our first permanent location in the UK. Chinatown London offers the very best of Chinese food and drink in London, which made it the obvious choice for the beginning of our brand’s expansion. While we are extremely well known in Taiwan we hope to introduce the Taiwanese tradition of drinking tea and the culture of our country to the UK. We take great pride in serving the very best product to our customers and look forward to adding to London’s existing market of diverse experiences from around the globe.”

This news complements the recent news that macaron ice cream sandwich brand, Yolkin, opened its first permanent shop on 24 Rupert Street, following successful street food stalls on Rupert Street and pop-ups in Soho and Covent Garden. The 450 sq ft store offers the brand’s signature ice cream macarons that are inspired by South East Asian flavours with a Western twist. 

ENDS

For further information please contact Amanda McNally or Lottie Croker at Aver via amandamcnally@aver.uk.com or charlottecroker@aver.uk.com 

Notes to editors

The brand, which was established by Florence Mae Maglanoc and Omar Shah, the founder of Bintang restaurant, Guanabana and newly opened Ramo Ramen, opened their debut UK site for Mamasons in Camden last summer. Dirty ice cream is the nickname used to describe the ice cream sold by hawkers on the streets of Manila, which is where the brand takes its inspiration from

Chinatown

China is changing and traditional values are being complemented by new ideals and trends, inspired by other parts of the Far East and the West.  This is influencing what Chinese people and visitors expect in Chinatown.  Shaftesbury understands this and is experiencing directly the evolution of China, spending time in its cities to see, taste and hear what is happening first hand. 

Whilst inherently Chinese, under Shaftesbury’s long-term curation and partnership with the community, Chinatown is evolving to reflect the changes occurring in the Far East, creating is a mix of tradition and modernism that makes cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul some of the most exciting places in the world. 

中国城

中国正在经历翻天覆地的变化，而在东亚其它地区和西方的影响下，中国的许多传统价值也正在和新的理念与潮流相融合。这样的变化也在影响着中国人与其他地方游客对中国城的看法与期待。Shaftesbury对这样的趋势有着深刻的理解，而且也对中国的高速发展有着直接的体会。在过去的一段时间里，Shaftesbury的一些员工被派往中国，亲自去观看、去品尝、去倾听今天中国的脉搏。

虽然伦敦中国城本质上还是中国传统的延伸，但在Shaftesbury长期的精心策划与管理下，并且在与当地社群的合作下，中国城正在成为反映亚洲巨变的一面镜子。如今，中国城和上海、北京、东京、首尔等等许多令人激动的亚洲城市一样，成为了一个传统与现代相互碰撞、相互融合的地方。

Shaftesbury 

Shaftesbury PLC is a Real Estate Investment Trust, which invests exclusively in the liveliest parts of London's West End. Our objective is to deliver long-term growth in rental income, capital values and shareholder returns. 

Focused on restaurants, leisure and retail, our exceptional portfolio extends to around 15 acres, clustered mainly in Carnaby, Seven Dials and Chinatown, with substantial ownerships in east and west Covent Garden, Soho and Fitzrovia. 

In addition, we have a 50% interest in the Longmartin joint venture with The Mercers' Company, which has a long leasehold interest, extending to 1.9 acres, in St Martin's Courtyard in Covent Garden. 

Our proven management strategy is to create and foster distinctive, attractive and prosperous locations. It is implemented by an experienced management team with an innovative approach to long-term, sustainable income and value creation, and a focus on shareholder returns. We have a strong balance sheet with conservative leverage. 

有关Shaftesbury 

Shaftesbury是一个房地产投资信托基金，其主要的投资对象是伦敦倍受追捧、炙手可热的西区（West End）繁华地段。我们的目标是较长的一段时期内，提高租金收入、资本价值以及股东收益。 

 Shaftesbury专注于伦敦西区最有活力的区域发展零售、餐饮和娱乐业，我们的资产组合的总面积达到15英亩，集中在卡纳比大街（Carnaby）、七晷区（Seven Dials）和中国城（Chinatown）区域；同时，Shaftesbury在科文特花园（Covent Garden）东、西两侧、Soho区和菲茨罗维亚区（Fitzrovia）也拥有大量地产。 

 另外，我们和 The Mercers’ Company 共同拥有 Longmartin 项目50%的收益。Mercers’ Company 则拥有科文特花园（Covent Garden）里 St Martin’s Courtyard 区多达1.9英亩地产的长期租赁权益。 

  我们行之有效的管理策略旨在创造并促进多个独特、有吸引力、位于繁华地段的地产项目。负责执行管理策略的是一支经验丰富的管理团队，他们运用创新的方法长期稳定地带来收益和价值的增长，并且时刻着眼于股东的收益。我们的资产负债表呈现出强劲、健康的态势，仅有较为保守的杠杆率。