AN INNERLEITHEN businessman who has served up thousands of ice creams to customers over the past 40 years, has hung up his scoop.

Andrew Caldwell, 69, who ran Caldwell’s Luxury Ice Cream on the town’s High Street, has handed over the reins of the store after retiring to spend more time with his family.

His two daughters Angela and Jan, who run the Peebles branch, have now taken over the Innerleithen shop.

Since the business was established in 1911 by Andrew’s grandfather, the ownership has been passed down through the family.

Andrew’s father took over in 1926, before passing it to him in 1978.

A well-known face in Innerleithen, Andrew had the honour of being the town’s Standard Bearer at the St Ronan’s Games in 1968.

And he returned as Principal Guest in 2009. His son, also called Andrew, was Standard Bearer in 2000.

Andrew told us: “Around 50 current and former staff attended my retirement party at the Memorial Hall last Friday night.

“It was a wonderful night, and a lovely opportunity to see everyone, including the chief executive from the UK Ice Cream Alliance who also also attended.

“Looking back, an absolute highlight has to be the world ice cream championships in January 2010 in Rimini, Italy.

“I spent four days there and judged entries from five countries, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Morocco and Switzerland.

“A year before that, I was elected as president of the UK Ice Cream Alliance, which involved visiting 135 ice cream parlours around the UK.

“I was the first president to hold that position for two years – someone new takes over each year, but in 2010, the guy who was meant to take over couldn’t do so and I was asked to stay in the role until 2011.”

Asked on what advice he would give his two daughters, Andrew said: “I would tell them to do their own thing.

“When I started, there was just one flavour at the shop – vanilla, and now we have 64 different flavours for folk to pick from.

“I know they are changing the Innerleithen store into an ice cream parlour to make it more ice cream orientated, with a re-opening planned at the end of this month.”

And Andrew has admitted that he won’t miss his early starts, after revealing that a typical day for him starts in the wee small hours.

“I’m usually in bed by 10pm, back up at around 3am and I start work at 3.30am, the whole process to make the ice cream takes around three and a half hours.

“I would head home for a few hours at lunchtime and would be back at the shop in the afternoon.

“During our busiest times of the year in the summer, I’d work around 117 hours a week.

“So after 40 years, I’m glad to have a wee rest and not feel guilty about staying up late.”

He added: “Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to the residents of Peeblesshire who have supported me over the last 40 years, I’ll miss them all.

“Generations have visited my shop, and I’ve watched many of the kids grow into adults, and bring their sons and daughters along for a Caldwell’s ice cream.”