A paramedic from Britain turned to selling ice cream to manage the stress of his demanding job, and it has blossomed into a thriving business. James Shemeld, 46, runs four ice cream trucks and reportedly makes about $80,000 a year from this venture alone, on top of his private ambulance services, which together yield around $270,000 annually from his home in Newcastle-under-Lyme, England.
He started selling ice cream again during the pandemic after feeling overwhelmed by the mental toll of his medical work. “It was really tough, and I realized that my mental health was being affected pretty seriously,” he shared.
In search of a change, Shemeld invested in a second-hand ice cream truck, which cost him about $17,500, and began catering to customers in his free time. Initially, it was just a side gig in 2020, but the business took off in 2021, leading him to expand and purchase more trucks to handle the growing demand.
Now, his ice cream business largely occupies his work hours, although he still steps in as a paramedic when needed. The contrast between selling ice cream and his medical role is striking; he noted, “There is no stress on the medical side.”
His connection to this line of work goes way back to his childhood when a local ice cream vendor became a mentor and father figure to him. Interestingly, that same mentor later gifted him the very first truck he worked on as a child.
These days, Shemeld operates his ice cream truck several days a week and often finds himself answering medical questions from curious customers. He keeps a defibrillator on hand, just in case, highlighting that he hasn’t entirely left his paramedic identity behind. However, he emphasizes that the business isn’t driven by profit. “I don’t want to charge too much, but it was to improve my mental health,” he said. “I love what I do.”
