The UK’s best ice cream shops and cafes have been revealed in a brand new ranking
The family run ice cream farm features a wildflower meadow(Image: MEN)
This week, hot, sunny weather, which is already drenching the South of England is expected to head north – which means many of us will be hopefully be heading outside to soak it up.
According to the Met Office’s latest forecast, our region will see temperatures well above 25C later this week. Temperatures are expected to hover around the low-20s today (June 17) and on Wednesday in Greater Manchester, with highs between 19C and 22C across the region over the next two days.
Meanwhile, Greater Manchester’s heatwave is expected to start on Thursday, with top temperatures of between 26C and 28C forecast in the region.
With this in mind, you might be scoping out a good pub garden to head to post work, or perhaps a nice walk or riverside spot to explore over the weekend.
Others may want to keep in the shade and we looking for some sweet relief. Fortunately, Good Food, formerly known as BBC Good Food, has published its list of the best ice cream parlours in the UK.
Gingers Comfort Emporium (Image: ugcmen)
As it points out, the UK is home to many artisan ice cream shops and historic gelaterias, each serving up an array of flavours, toppings and treats.
Here in the North West, two ice cream shops have received the nod – one based in the Northern Quarter and another in an idyllic Cheshire countryside setting.
The first, Ginger’s Comfort Emporium, has landed in at number 10 and has been praised for its ‘creative’ flavours.
The business, which encompasses a mobile ice cream van and cafe at Afflecks in the Northern Quarter, was started as a passion project by Claire Kelsey, making small batch, inventively flavoured real dairy ice cream, sorbet and vegan ice cream.
Claire, then a chef and food stylist, was driven by an aim to refurbish an old ice cream van into something quirky and useful.
From here she began to dream up and make some very quirky flavours that remain best sellers even to this day – from Marmalade on Toast and Olive Oil & Sea Salt to ‘Chorlton‘ Crack (salted caramel peanut butter).
Ice cream from Gingers Comfort Emporium(Image: Supplied)
As well as the ice cream bar in Afflecks, Gingers can regularly be found at markets across the North West, and they also pop up at a string of UK’s summer festivals.
Other popular flavours scooped up include gin & juniper, blackberry, and pear & Tonka beans, alongside a number of desserts such as the French Elvis – hot French toast filled with salted caramel and peanut butter ice cream, banana and raspberry sauce.
Over in Cheshire, Snugburys, a family-run ice cream farm just outside Nantwich has also made the cut. Set on a cobbled courtyard, the parlour, which run by three sisters is one of the most popular stop-offs for families in the summer months.
The business was founded in 1986 at Park Farm by Chris and Cheryl Sadler. They started from their kitchen, making ice cream with a mixer.
Hannah Goodwin, Kitty Hill and Cleo Sadler of Snugburys Ice Cream(Image: Snugburys)
It was taken over seven years ago by the Sadler’s daughters Kitty, Cleo and Hannah, who have grown the business by a further 60-70%.
The store boasts a ’55 pan display’ of flavours with their double cone the biggest seller.
Good Food has praised the spot for its homemade treats including its chocolate brownies, pavlova meringues and crispy creme Brulee sugar, as well as its twist on mango sorbet, and ‘Yum Yum’ ice vanilla ice cream with pecans, chocolate, biscuits and toffee, calling them ‘must-orders’.
Located off the A51 in Hurleston, just outside of Nantwich, the business attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
Queues outside the Snugburys Ice Cream store near Nantwich(Image: Snugburys )
It has become famous in recent years for its giant straw sculptures at the heart of the fields where you can enjoy eating your ice cream while admiring the views.
Other ice cream parlours to make the list include Krum Gelato in Chester which is making waves with it showcase of local seasonal ingredients, and The Little Ice Cream Shop in Cumbria, a charming spot in Hawkshead on a local farm using milk from its own small dairy herd.