Stressed paramedic started selling ice cream in lockdown, and makes £60k

Stressed paramedic started selling ice cream in lockdown, and makes £60kJames now works as a paramedic and an ice cream manCommentsNewsNeil Shaw Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)08:46, 19 Apr 2026View 5 ImagesJames Shemmeld owns an ice cream businessA paramedic has revealed he makes £60,000 from his ice cream van side hustel - which he started to releive the stress of his day job. James Shemmeld, 46, now runs four ice cream vans which combined make an average of £60,000-a-year.‌This is on top of the £200,000 private ambulance and paramedic service he also runs from his home in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs. He used to sell ices and 99s as a kid and loved it so much he splashed out £13,000 on a second-hand van and did it up during the pandemic.‌The dad-of-four started selling ice creams as a way to destress after witnessing patients die. He said: “I started work as a paramedic with West Midlands Ambulance Service in 2013 and then started my private business in 2015.‌View 5 ImagesJames operates ambulances and ice cream trucks“When we first started the business it was first aid training, then we branched out to event paramedical services. In 2020 we had a contract visiting people with Covid to give advice. My team were assessing the patients but many were dying the next week.‌“It was depressing, I was spending weeks away from home and my wife said I'd changed. It was really difficult, because that was everyday you were doing that, and it got to the point where I realised that my mental health was being affected quite severely.“One day I decided to buy an ice cream van to cheer myself up and to distract myself from my day job. I searched on eBay and found one for £13,000. I did it up and got it certified and just started selling ice creams. In 2020 the ice cream van was a side hustle but from 2021 onwards it really took off and I had to buy more vans to keep up with demand.”View 5 ImagesJames says ice cream helps him destress‌James says his ice cream business i...