Hi,
Just saw your post, I don't know if this is any help. My great grandfather was called Antonio Sbarbori and was originally from near Parma (Sassoulo I think)and emigrated from Italy to England around 1900, settling in Stoke-on-Trent. He too was an Ice Cream maker and his business was run by the family until 2004. I was told that he had family, possibly a brother who settled in Chester who had an ice cream business. He was killed by a bus in 1929 whilst selling ice cream. My father and aunt know more details.
Joe