Gone are those innocent summer days when the only choice you had to make was Twist or Feast.
For the third 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-18 August 2024.
As is becoming a summer tradition, the shop's silver freezers will be piled high with tubs of ice creams and sorbets which are hand-made in small batches, and flavoured with well-known sauces, cereals, seasonings and the like.
Here's the list of 2024's flavours in full — with added taste predictions:
- Bird's Custard - a nifty take on a classic vanilla. One for non risk-takers.
- Branston Piccalilli - also has cheddar cheese in it and must be good, as it's a return entry from 2023.
- Filippo Berio Pesto - sounds awful, but could be a surprise hit. Wonder if, like all jars of pesto, you'll need to polish the whole blinking tub off within 23 minutes of opening it...
- Heinz Baked Beans - we thought this was a had-bean! After a year off in 2023 though, this truly unnecessary ice cream flavour is back to haunt our taste buds.
- Kenco Coffee - the safest bet aside from the custard (see above), we nonetheless wonder if this slightly naff brand of coffee will pale in comparison to the kicky stuff most of us are used to nowadays.
- Kikkoman Soy Sauce - sounds terribly salty. Still, at least they're not doing a full blown salt flavour.
- Maldon Sea Salt (sorbet) - ah. Whatever next, vinegar flavour?!
- Sarson's Vinegar - for the love of... actually, something is telling us this one could be a dark, vinegary horse. Would try.
- McVitie's Penguin - the Oreo ice cream is dead. Long live the Penguin ice cream.
- McVitie's Jaffa Cakes - and where have you been all my life?
- Perello Olives - this idea came from the pesto person, didn't it?
- Robinson's Lemon Barley Water (sorbet) - makes perfect sense — especially as something to scoff while watching Wimbledon. But as with the Kenco, might this taste a little... cheap?
- Sun-Pat Peanut Butter - a thousand times yes. Especially if we can add a dollop of raspberry jam.
- Tiptree Orange Marmalade - the only ice cream we've ever made was marmalade and whisky flavour, and it was immense.
- Tropicana Orange Juice (sorbet) - might as well have a Calippo, mate.
(We bid farewell, then, to former flavours including Kellogg's Rice Krispies, KP Original Salted Peanuts and Warburtons Crumpets.)
New for 2024, there'll also be a blind tasting ice cream tea experience, as well an ice cream-related merch. This really is becoming a thing, isn't it.
The Ice Cream Project runs from 7 June-18 August 2024. It's from £4.50 for a scoop, and a not insubstantial £16 for a 500ml tub.
