Gone are those innocent summer days when the only choice you had to make was Twister or Feast.
For the fourth year in a row, one scoop shop in particular is smashing its way out of the freezer box of formality, to bring an avalanche of icy treats bearing an eccentric (and at times, potentially car crash) spectrum of flavours.
It is, of course, The Ice Cream Project by Anya Hindmarch, which returns to the designer's boutique 'The Village' in Belgravia, from 7 June-17 August 2025.
As has become a summer tradition, the shop's silver freezers are piled high with tubs of ice creams and sorbets which are hand-made in small batches in Devon, and flavoured with household name sauces, cereals and seasonings.
We popped in to try them. Here's the list of 2025's flavours in full, with added tasting notes:
- Bird's Custard - a nifty take on a classic vanilla. One for non risk-takers, but delectable nonetheless.
- Romney's Kendal Mint Cake - if you like Kendal mint cake, you'll like this because it tastes exactly the same, although chunks of the sugary hiker's crack would have elevated this ice cream to the next level. If you taking this up Ben Nevis, make sure you have a good freezer bag.
- Ovaltine - Deliciously malty, although it doesn't half feel wrong scooping frozen Ovaltine into your gob. Would still totally eat this immediately before bed, though.
- Jacob's Twiglets - one of the sillier 2025 flavours, and more of a headline-grabber than anything you'd genuinely want to eat mountains of. That said, it's not entirely revolting...
- McVitie's Club Orange - altogether now "If you like a lot of McVitie's Club Orange in your ice cream..." This could well prove the most popular scoop of the lot.
- Maldon Sea Salt (sorbet) - the return of what has now become an Anya Hindmarch classic. If you love salted caramel, except for the caramel, then this is for you.
- Rowse Honey - a pretty safe bet, but it'd be nice if the ice cream was rippled with the honey. Bring your own bottle of Rowse to make it sing. (Missed a food trend not having hot honey too.)
- Copella Cloudy Apple (sorbet) - didn't get around to tasting this one, but it's probably the most refreshing on the list, and we'd wager tastes like a posh apple Calippo.
- Flying Goose Sricacha Sauce - for those who like their ice cream, er, hot. The proper way to eat this is with chopsticks (possibly).
- Irn-Bru (sorbet) - We've previously had Irn Bru in sour beer, and jam, form — and once again this Scottish stalwart proves its versatility as a sorbet. Next year they should batter it though.
- McVitie's Hobnobs - elevenses will hit different this summer, if you've got a tub of this baby in your freezer drawer.
- Garner's Pickled Onions - surely the stupidest flavour of the lot, we'd love to be able to say this is surprisingly scrumptious, but yeah, if you imagine pickled onion flavour ice cream... this is that. Booo!
- Bisto Gravy - another one that you should ask for a taster of at the counter, and then not buy a tub of. Also confusingly looks like a tub of Bisto, which could spell havoc for your next roast dinner...
- Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil - posh restaurants often toy with olive oil ice cream, so while this one sounds weird, it's actually a winner. And if you're not a fan, it's still probably cheaper to extract the oil from the ice cream, than buy an actual bottle of olive oil.
- Quaker Porridge Oats - Oh boy! While porridge might sound like a bland kinda flavour, the texture of oats rolled into ice cream makes for one heck of a treat. Put those cornflakes on ice — this is what we're having for breakfast till mid August.
(We bid farewell, then, to former flavours including Perello Olives, Branston Piccalilli and Filippo Berio Pesto.)
As per last year, there'll also be blind tasting ice cream tea experiences, and ice cream-related merch. This really has become a thing, hasn't it.
The Ice Cream Project runs from 7 June-17 August 2025. It's from £4.50 for a scoop, and a not insubstantial £16 for a 500ml tub. Expect to queue at busy times.
