Thirsty diners at one Basildon restaurant have been promised their ice cubes will last at least 15 minutes - or they get a free drink.

Ice with that? - waitress Danielle Murphy cools off Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY

TGI Friday bosses have revealed the "ice-time guarantee" at Festival Leisure Park eatery has helped bust the chain store's national record for ice cube consumption.

Manager Lynn Joyce said guests had sipped their way through almost 200,000 ice cubes in air-conditioned comfort in the past two weeks.

Lynn said: "We have introduced a 15-minute ice-time guarantee with each of our chilled cocktails and range of non-alcoholic smoothies, to assure guests they can escape the soaring temperatures."

Published Wednesday August 11, 2004

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