THE new operator of a renovated country park ice cream kiosk could be on their way to whipping up a multi-million-pound goldmine.

A mouthwatering sum in excess of hundreds and thousands could be secured for the bidder that ends up running the revamped ice cream outlet at Moors Valley.

Forestry England, which manages the East Dorset park in partnership with Dorset Council, is on the lookout for a new tenant to scoop up an eight-year lease for the concession.

The opportunity has been listed on a Government website and it states that it could potentially deliver earnings of between £1million and £5million over the length of the contract.

A closing date for tender applications for the venture at one of Forestry England’s most popular recreation sites across the country has been set for March 2.

Linda Laker, Forestry England’s recreation manager for Dorset, said: “We have over one million people a year visit Moors Valley and ice creams are always in demand.

“We felt that we could do more to make this a fun experience for people, so we have doubled the size of the kiosk and the service counter areas which will greatly reduce waiting and queuing times, particularly at the busier times of year and school holidays.

“We are now in the process of finding a company to run the kiosk and offer a great choice of ice creams and refreshments. I would encourage firms to apply and we are happy to provide more information to any of those that are interested. Our plan is to have the new ice cream kiosk open for some time around April.”

Rental fees for the kiosk are considered commercially sensitive and, therefore, would not be disclosed by Forestry England.

Details on the contract website said: “The kiosk is currently being renovated and extended to provide more internal space, wider service counter, a walk in freezer and external storage area.

“The park is ideally positioned on the Dorset/Hampshire border in the heart of a prime tourist destination and within easy reach of the national road network.”

“The successful bidder/tenant will need to work proactively with Forestry England, alongside existing businesses on site, to provide a high quality visitor experience.”

The Ice Cream Alliance (ICA), a trade association for the sector, said the industry was thriving.

Zelica Carr, chief executive officer of the ICA, said: “The UK ice cream sector is certainly booming. In total its worth over £1.4billion per year and growing.

“Ice cream parlours are one of the few growth sectors on the High Street. The numbers of parlours grew by 20 per cent last year according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“The ICA believes that there are more than 1,200 ice cream parlours in the UK as of 2019.”