YOU can’t walk down Southend seafront without spotting the iconic Rossi ice cream logo.

What started out as a small family business is now a thriving empire.

Launched in 1932 by an Italian family, the brand is now as synonymous with the town as the pier and Adventure Island.

Born in Southend and brought up on Rossi ice cream, Colin Gray became the managing director in 2006.

He has brought the brand into the 21st century, last month moving Rossi ice cream from its famous factory in Lucy Road, Southend - where it was based since the Sixties - to Temple Farm Industrial Estate.

Mr Gray said: “The product was there, the fan base was there, it just needed slightly updating. It was a very old, traditional family business. When we took over they had no barcoding, no computers, just a pen and paper. The most high-tech piece of equipment was a fax machine.

“We have taken a sleeping iconic brand and updated it. We wanted to develop, build and carry on the tradition for people.

“We now have a prestigious factory which is much better for production. It is immaculate, was purpose built for us and meets all the latest specs and guidelines.”

Mr Gray has also updated packaging and worked hard to get Rossi ice cream stocked in shops up and down the country since he took over the reins - but has been careful to keep the much-loved taste.

He said: “Retaining the original recipe has been key. It has been the same for all those years, with only slight changes. For example, the peppermint used to be artificial flavouring and now we use real peppermint.

“When companies do surveys on Southend we come second or third to the pier and Adventure Island, which is great.

“Rossi has become synonymous with Southend and we have worked to take it further afield through Essex. You can now find Rossi in Kent, London, Suffolk and Norfolk.”

Not only can you find Rossi in ice cream vans and kiosks, the brand is also available in selected supermarkets and from food delivery service Deliveroo.

The brand is also the only company in the country to offer personalised ice cream tubs, which have been shipped as far as the south of France and to Barcelona.