Mr Whippy given cold shoulder

Tauranga South Mr Whippy owners Ann Wade-French and Ross Killoh have been banned from trading at Aims Games venues this year. Photo / Ruth Keber

The owners of a Tauranga Mr Whippy van are feeling betrayed after being dumped from the 2014 NZCT Aims Games after 10 years of partnership.

Ann Wade-French and Ross Killoh have been pulling up at matches and venues since the games started but have lost the contract to Fonterra-owned Tip Top and Anchor.

The Aims Games was their biggest event of the year and was worth thousands of dollars to their small business.

Their franchise was a small local business that spent and bought locally and relied on big events coming to Tauranga to get through winter, Mr Killoh said.

"It certainly is a measurable portion of our income."

The Aims Games are New Zealand's biggest sporting event, with 7500 intermediate school athletes from Kaitaia to Dunedin taking part this year.

The event provides a major boost to the Bay economy each year. Mr Killoh said they had given 10 to 15 per cent of their earnings back to the games during their partnership.

"We supported them for 10 years. It would be nice if they could be a bit more loyal.

"We just have to sit and watch the biggest event be whipped away from us."

They were allowed to park their Mr Whippy on the road outside venues but because of council ruling they were required to move every 15 minutes, making it hard to trade, he said.

A Games tournament director Vicki Semple, speaking on behalf of the tournament committee and Fonterra, said the committee understood their disappointment of Mr Whippy but had made the decision to support the growth of the tournament.

"We appreciate the service and support we've received from Mr Whippy.

"At the end of the day it's a business decision. With the Tip Top product we're selling at the games, a lot of it goes back into school fundraising. The schools sell it as a fundraiser.

"Tip Top are putting a significant amount into the games."

Anchor had provided recycle bins made from recycled plastic bottles which aligned well with the tournament's recycling, she said.

Mr Whippy in New Zealand

• Dominic Facchino is accredited with starting Mr Whippy.

• Early in 1964, having had success in Australia, the United States and United Kingdom, Facchino decided to also enter the New Zealand market on a master franchised basis.

• Twenty-four pink and cream vans were constructed in the UK and shipped from Birmingham in time for the summer of 1964.