During the summer of 1904 an unlikely partnership was formed at the World Trade Fair St. Louis.

The summer was unusually hot and people were searching the fair for something to help cool them off . Arnold Fornachou had just what they were looking for, ice cream. People lined up for what seemed like miles to get some of his cool and satisfying ice cream but there was one problem. Arnold was not prepared for the demand and ran out of paper bowls and was forced to go back to the tradition of using small glass or porcelain dishes. It was hard to keep pace with washing and reusing them. The result was too few bowls and people were getting tired of waiting.

Next to Arnold’s ice cream booth was the booth of a pastry chef named, Ernest Hamwi and he was making a Persian wafer desert called zalabia. Ernest also had a problem, bedcause it was such a warm day his pastry was not selling. He noticed the problem Arnold was having and took some warm zalabia and rolled it into a cone shape. He then went over and showed Arnold how the zalabia could hold a scoop of the ice cream. On that hot day during the World’s Fair, the ice cream cone was born because a partnership was formed. Ice cream and wafers, or cones – a perfect partnership

A perfect partnership. During these very difficult times we are seeing everyday how people sharing and coming together (albeit it within the social distancing restrictions) results in partnerships that emphasis that we are all in in together. On a lighter note, I look forward to a date when once again we can wander the beaches and parks whilst cooling off with an ice cream. Till then – stay in, stay safe!