Summer is without question our favourite time of the year. Not only can you forget layering up and driving home in the cold and dark (and getting up in it, for that matter), but there’s long summer evenings to savour, the smell of cut grass, birds singing, the heady scent of honeysuckle, sand between your toes, tall summer drinks with artfully placed sprigs of mint… oh, and lest we forget, ice-cream. Big, fat creamy scoops of the stuff. If there’s one thing we associate with a British summer, it’s ice-cream. Luckily for us there’s some new indulgent flavours to tantalise the tastebuds, from chocolate and blood orange sorbet to kir royale ice popsicles. Now all we need is guaranteed sunshine…
Dark decadence
This one not only looks amazing but tastes delicious too (trust us, we’ve tried it). Both bitter and sweet at the same time, this dark chocolate ice cream (made with cocoa beans from Tanzania) swirled with Italian blood orange sorbet and blood orange sauce, is just about as dramatic and decadent as they come. £4.29, Buy now
Pretty popsicles
Not strictly speaking an ice-cream, but due to its fantastically inventive flavours and pretty candy stripe packaging, more than deserving of its place in the list are these Ice Popsicles from Britain’s iconic grocer, Fortnum and Mason. The Champagne Pop, undoubtedly one of Fortnum’s biggest hits last summer, is back again, joined by three new flavours – limited-edition Rosé, Kir Royale and Summer Cup, which features infused Dry Gin and Pedro Ximinez Sherry blended with Moroccan Mint, Chai and Earl Grey teas. Perfect for parties. Ice Popsicles, £6.50 each, Buy now
Taste of the Orient
The people behind the new YeeKwan range of the oriental-inspired ices – from Black Sesame Seed and Lychee to Pink Guava & Passion Fruit – suggest you pick up a tub from Harvey Nicks to enjoy in Hyde Park in the sunshine. Possibly the nicest suggestion we’ve heard all year. Now if only we could guarantee the sunsine. Small tub £2.95 | Large tub £4.95, Buy now
Ice-cream afternoon tea
How about this for afternoon tea with a difference: an ice-cream afternoon tea at Selfridges. The gelato pop-up, which set up shop in the Oxford Street store last summer, has been given a full-time spot, where you’ll be able to indulge in everything from ice cream sponge and cookie sandwiches to gelato-stuffed macaroons and gelato-stuffed cannoli. Price £15 per person.
Tangy treat
Paddington, the little bear from Peru, would approve of this new flavour from Purbeck Ice Cream. With chunky orange shreds of marmalade blended with fresh Purbeck milk and thick Dorset double cream, it’s tangy and different, and just the right side of sharp. A scoop in a milkshake is, we’re told, a thing of beauty. Buy now
Jersey with love
Islanders and visitors to Jersey will be able to enjoy the tasty new way to cool down with this month’s launch of Minioti’s sugar-free probiotic ice cream. The brainchild Anna Boletta and Natasha Dowse, who both live on the island, Minioti was developed with Jersey Dairy as a healthier treat for their children, and now plans are afoot to export to China as well as launching the range in the UK. We have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of this brand in the future. Buy now
Main image: Waitrose
The post Six of the best ice-creams of summer 2016 appeared first on Beyond Bespoke.