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In the early 1940's Mr and Mrs Gornall (nee Molloy) opened a village store selling everything from cheese and bacon to ladies nylons.  Martin Molloy, current owner of Bonds of Elswick, even remembers buying a fishing rod which consisted of a garden cane, a hook, line and a sinker, great for fishing in the local ponds.

Having got the shop on its feet, Mrs Gornall decided that there was a need for a tea shop and by 1944 sure enough a cabin apeared next to the shop selling cups of tea, homemade scones, cakes etc.  As time went on hot meals followed and the cabin extended.  In 1946, the then licensee of The Boot and Shoe pub, Mr Tom Lucas, made ice cream on the premises of the pub and sold it through a little kiosk.  In 1946, when Mr Lucas was leaving The Boot and the new licensee didn't want to carry on making ice cream, Mr Gornall saw an opportunity to purchase the recipe and some equipment.  Ice cream has been made at Bonds ever since.

It wasn't long before people from near and far were coming to taste this vanilla ice cream.  Soon shops in the area were asking if they could be supplied and soon in every village there was someone selling Bonds Ice Cream.

Due to the influence of the supermarkets and the untimely death of Mrs Gornall, it was decided to close the grocers and concentrate on the ice cream and cafe.  It was a short time later in 1974 that a restaurant was built on the original site.  The business continued to thrive, until in 1993 at the ripe old age of 84, Mr Gornall decided to put the business up for sale.  Martin Molloy, being concerned for his job and that of the other workers decided that having over 30 years experience, if anyone could run the business it was him!  So a purchase price was agreed and Martin Molloy took over the reigns. 

More recently a patio area has been created at the front of the premises, the kiosk and ice cream parlour and coffee bar have been revamped and the old shop is now open again selling old fashioned sweets and other treats.

From one simple vanilla flavour back in 1946, Bonds of Elswick now proudly makes and manufactures over 20 different flavours of ice cream and continues to be one of Lancashire's little treasures.

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