A barber on the outskirts of Norwich is looking to take his business in a surprising new direction - by adding an ice parlour to his shop.
Ali Maulud has run Master of Barbers on Aylsham Road in Mile Cross for almost five years, an independent barbershop which caters mainly for men.
However, Mr Maulud has applied to Norwich City Council for permission to add a small extension to the side of the building, on a slither of land that is currently its garden, to house an ice cream parlour.
And while Mr Maulud himself would not run the parlour, it would be joined to the barbers and the businesses will be linked - allowing people to have a cone or a cup with their cut.
He said the idea had come to him in a moment of inspiration before the pandemic, but that it had inevitably postponed the project going ahead.
He said: "I'd been trying to think of ways we can offer something a little bit different and I had thought about other food options, but feel like an ice cream parlour would be easier to run in a small space.
"They would be run as separate businesses and I will need to get somebody in the run the ice cream shop, but we thought we could offer people deals where they come in for a haircut and get a discount on their ice cream."
Mr Maulud is hoping that should planning permission be granted the ice cream parlour side of the business would be able to open in the summer of 2022.
He said: "I've been a barber almost five years but just wanted to think of something different we could offer as well.
"If we get permission, it will take a little while to sort but we just want everything to be perfect with it."
Mr Maulud has started discussions with people to run the parlour, which he says will sell fresh ice cream.
He added that he hoped the idea would help bring more people to that part of the city.
Norwich City Council will consider the application in due course.
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