Popping up for the summer only is the UK’s weirdest but most wonderful experience where visitors can try ice cream flavours of much-loved and renowned cult food brands.
Having grown up by the seaside, I like to think I am an expert when it comes to ice cream flavours, but Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project where I was invited to try and liking Branston Piccalilli and Jaffa Cake ice cream flavours left me speechless.
As Brits, there seems to be nothing we love more than a visit to the seaside to enjoy a nice ice cream — whether that be a classic Mr Whippy with a 99 Flake, or scooped ice cream in a tub, such as rum and raison, clotted cream or honeycomb. But what if you are bored of those flavours, and want to try something a bit more ‘out there’? Enter the Ice Cream Project.
Ingeniously created by Anya Hindmarch, an English fashion accessories designer, the Ice Cream Project features Anya’s favourite cult food brands that are also household names that even kids will know. Located in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, as an ice cream lover I had to check it out this city pop-up.
Have you been to some food experiences with bizarre flavours? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
Upon arrival the team were so welcoming and the interior design set-up reminded me of an American diner. Chatting with the team, they told me that all the ice cream is made in a Devon creamery in small batches and each original recipe is created with the very best ingredients.
Jaffa Cake
Of course this one was nice. This was a chocolate based ice cream, with the the strong orange flavour hitting second. I could have this flavour any and everyday and wouldn’t be surprised to see it on supermarket shelves in the future.
Kikkoman’s Soy Sauce
Probably my least favourite type was Kikkoman’s Soy Sauce. Soy sauce is a strong flavour as it is, so putting that into an ice cream is no easy feat. You can really taste the flavour of sesame and soy sauce, and whilst I was taken off guard at first, since leaving the parlour I have found myself thinking of how you get the initial punch of soy sauce but the smooth aftertaste of rich sesame.
Kenco Coffee
Onto another loved flavour, Kenco Coffee was simply a delight. Now whilst coffee ice cream isn’t unheard of, this beat all the coffee ice creams I have previously had. Kenco itself has a very deep flavour, which this ice cream captured perfectly. What made it even nicer is it was like having fresh roasted, iced coffee from an independent shop and for the rest of the day I didn’t feel the need for another coffee.
Heinz Baked Beans
This flavour is probably the most hard to describe. A lot of Brits love baked beans, but also a fair few hate them. However, the ice cream itself is a little more subtle than the tomato-rich sauce you get when you open a can of Heinz.
The ice cream itself was smooth with a hint of sugary tomato – interesting but not disgusting. The surprise for me was when I bit into a frozen baked bean, which I wasn’t the biggest fan of. It was like having a baked bean that had been left on your dinner plate for a few hours, but you still ate because the hunger started to creep back – we’ve all had a cold baked bean, it’s not the nicest.
Minus the frozen bean, the ice cream itself was really nice. The combination of tomato and sugar actually made me feel like this would make a great comfort food — especially in humid, thunder-stormy weather but where you still want something cold.
Wilkin & Sons Ltd ‘Tiptree’ Orange Marmalade
Personally, I am not a fan of marmalade and this flavour made me the most anxious. My anxiety only increased when the team told me they had increased the marmalade content in the ice cream after visitors expressed they’d like to taste the orangey stuff a little more.
For me this was a punch to my taste palette. If anything that isn’t marmalade could taste just like it, it was this ice cream. I can imagine this one would go down with parents and grandparents well, and whilst it wasn’t awful, I think I will steer clear if going again to avoid being put off orange flavours forever.
McVitie’s Penguin Biscuit
McVitie’s Penguin Biscuit was the ultimate throw back flavour. For many, including myself, this biscuit was a staple in school lunchboxes. Whether we had them for their cheesy jokes or because they offered the perfect lunchbox treat, we all know the bourbon biscuit-like malty flavour of a penguin biscuit.
The ice cream version tasted exactly the same. Great for those who like chocolate ice cream, but also don’t want something as dense as dark chocolate. This ice cream offered the perfect balance between biscuity texture, chocolate and cooling treat.
Maldon Salt
The team told me this has been their most popular flavour and I can see why. A chocolate- based ice cream with Maldon sea salt, seems like a classic that has always meant to be around. Also, whilst it is the only vegan option on the menu, the plant based should not feel left out as they are getting the best flavour.
Sun-Pat Crunchy Peanut Butter
A bit like marmite (a suggestion made by many visitors for the next edition), you either love or hate peanut butter. The same applies with the ice cream flavour. Similar to the Heinz Baked Beans flavour, I felt like this flavour would make the perfect comfort food.
Robinsons Lemon Barley Water
For sorbet fans, this one is a must. Like having frozen squash with a bit of texture, the Robinsons Lemon Barley Water was tangy and refreshing. Great for the hot sunny days the UK has been having recently and a fun flavour to keep kids cool.
Perello Olives
Olives is another classic love-hate flavour that often sees friendships divided between the people who don’t like olives and the people who do.
Luckily for me trying this flavour, I fall into the latter. A smooth ice cream with tiny pieces of olive, had the great hint of something punchy. Much like eating an actual olive, the flavour comes later than the initial taste. Another great flavour if you fancy something that feels a bit more like you’re on holiday, at a market, somewhere in Europe.
Bird’s Custard
Unfortunately when I went this flavour was out of stock, but I guess it would have tasted exactly like cold or frozen custard, with a milky texture. I will be heading back to try it…
Filippo Berio Classic Pesto
The one thing I often dislike about pesto is the oily texture and flavour of it. The combination of pine nut and basil is great, but the oily aftertaste and residue often leaves me a little underwhelmed.
This flavour, however, removes the oil and replaces it with cream. A vanilla-like ice cream with the subtle hints of basil and pine nut, you can definitely tell it is pesto — just with no oily aftertaste. This also felt like one of the freshest and most handmade of the flavours.
Tropicana Orange
Another one that was out of stock when I visited was Tropicana Orange, but I can imagine why this flavour is so popular. Unlike the perhaps more artificial flavour of orange found in the Jaffa Cake flavour, I would imagine Tropicana Orange was a fruity and refreshing treat. So, I will definitely be going back to try.
Sarson’s Malt Vinegar
Another one where I thought I would get a punch to the taste palette, was Sarson’s Malt Vinegar. Living by the beach meant I often had fish and chips in the summer, drowned in Sarson’s Malt Vinegar, so perhaps my taste buds had become tame to the flavour, but it was oddly nice and surprisingly refreshing.
Branston Piccalilli
Last but not least, my favourite flavour… I am not being sarcastic when I say this flavour was mind blowing. Don’t get put off by its rather bright yellow colour or the seemingly large pieces of piccalilli within the ice cream, because this flavour surprised me the most.
As an occasional eater of piccalilli — when I am in the right mood — I honestly thought this would be the worst flavour and leave my stomach in a spin. I was wrong…
A bit like a combination between a sorbet and ice cream, this flavour had both the right amount of punch and smoothness, and also left me feeling refreshed. As someone who had a whole scoop, and still liked it at the end, I can definitely say it is a must-try.
If heading to the Ice Cream Project, one scoop will set you back £4.50 or a 500ml tub will cost you £16.
Alternatively, try all the flavours by partaking in the Ice Cream Project Blind Tasting Tea at the Anya Café. Visitors can try all 15 flavours and guess what each one is. The experience costs £40 per person, and requires a minimum of two people per booking.
The experience ends on August 18, making it an ideal day out for the school summer holidays. I will definitely be dragging my friends there in the coming weeks to see their reactions to the bizarre flavours.
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