Henrietta Writes
Henrietta goes in search of the finest traditional British ice cream in BBC Good Food Magazine August 2008
Buy the Best Ice Cream
When I eat ice cream, that’s exactly what I hope to taste – iced cream. Nothing matches homemade ice cream, but if you’re in a rush, what’s the next best thing?
It pays to look closely at the label. Most ice creams are actually made with milk, milk powder and flavourings, and stabilisers and emulsifiers that manufacturers claim are essential. In my opinion, they are not. They are added to make a cheap mixture hang together, to give it ‘mouth feel; and shelf life. All they do is make you thirsty.
As for claims of ‘no artificial ingredients or colourings’, even if an ingredient is made in a laboratory, it won’t be ‘artificial’ if it is by nature identical in composition to the real thing. So you might not be licking ‘real’ strawberries but a strawberry flavouring.
Here are some of my favourite producers – they tick all the boxes for the taste, quality and authenticity of their ice cream.
FoodLovers Approved Ice Cream Producers
Cream o’ Galloway, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland
uses milk from their Ayrshire herd to make light airy ice cream.
Tel: 01557 814 040
Helsett Farm Cornish Ice Cream, Lesnewth, Cornwall
uses milk from their Ayrshire herd; the strawberry is very good.
Tel: 01840 261 207
September Organic Dairy, Weobley, Herefordshire
Made with Jersey milk and local eggs with interesting flavours such as blackberry & apple crumble sold in their parlour in Hay on Wye.
Tel: 01544 312 910
Caprilatte, Colchester, Essex
If you’re allergic to cow’s milk, try Warren Goff’s goat’s milk ice cream. He makes it in small quantities on his goat farm, using local fruit, honey and honeycomb.
Tel: 01206 736 121
Simply Ice Cream, Ashford, Kent
Simply Ice Cream makes ice cream by hand using local Kentish fruit, including English cherries.
Tel: 01233 720 922
Alder Carr, Ipswich, Suffolk
The fruit ice cream is made only with their own-grown fruit and cream – nothing else. Flavours include raspberry, damson and pear & chocolate.
Tel: 01449 720 820
In this month's Country House Henrietta visits The Cotswolds
