We love local, hand-made ice creams, gelatos and sorbets. From cow to cone, where can you get a taste of Britain's finest farm-fresh ice creams? We've tracked down the very best that you can try across the UK.
Boho Gelato - Brighton
Tucked away on a small side-street by the coach station, you'd be forgiven for not knowing Boho Gelato was there at all. But thanks to Seb and his crew creating some of the most imaginative and delicious gelato around, there's often queues out of the door. Farm-fresh non-homogenised uber-creamy milk comes from a dairy in nearby Rye, which gives Boho its legendary smooth, rich texture. With 24 daily-changing flavours to choose from, will you go for Mint Julep, chocolate and sour cherry sorbet or the wildly-popular sea salt caramel? Our plan? Keep going back to try the lot...
Winstones Cotswold Ice Cream - CotswoldsThree generations of Winstones have been whipping up the Cotswolds' favourite treat since 1925. The company began by selling ices from a motor cycle and sidecar and now have a shop on the slopes of Rodborough Common where you can tuck into ices and enjoy stunning views over the Cotwold hills at the same time. Specialising in ripples, including cherry, raspberry and banana and toffee, this is an old-fashioned company who are now using sustainable locally-sourced ingredients to make their award-winning creations.
Cheshire Farm - ChesterWhat began as a small family-run business is now a major attraction, pulling in 350,000 visitors each year. At Cheshire Farm Ice Cream you can see the entire cow-to-cone process at work. Watch the cows being milked, spend some time with the adorable baby calves and see how the ice cream gets made in the small factory. kids can burn off a bit of energy playing on climbing frames and zip wires and there's a soft play area for little ones too.
There's more than 40 flavours including the exotic spaghetti and cheese and rather more traditional toffee fudge and award-winning banoffi to choose from. And while the kids are having fun, grown-ups can treat themselves to a cheeky gin and tonic sorbet.
Otter Valley Dairy - DevonIn the heart of the dazzling Otter Valley in the Blackdown Hills, you'll find the Otter Valley Dairy, now in its fourth generation of producing rich, creamy milk. Back in 2010 the family decided to try their hand at ice cream making - a move that paid off, as they've won national awards for their small-batch creations. We love the sound of lemon & lime meringue or seabuckthorn, but more traditional tastes are catered for too with chocolate, strawberry and honeycomb.
Llanfaes Dairy - Brecon BeaconsCombing local Welsh producers with the finest ingredients direct from one of Italy's top flavour houses to create the perfect Brecon Beacon blend, Llanfaes have been making amazing ice cream since 1997. Situated next to the area's tallest mountain, the Pan Y Fan, you can take the challenge of conquering the mighty mountain and then lick and scoop your way through the rather more delicious 'Pan Y Fan gelato challenge' - four scoops, nuts, cream and a flake.
Flavours include rhubarb crumble and turkish delight along with the usual vanilla and chocolate, but with so many tempting types to try, you might have to climb that mountain more than once.
Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream - near Bolton AbbeyBilly Bob's ice-cream parlour at Calm Slate Farm in the Yorkshire Dales is a Cape Cod-styled American diner with decadent sundaes and real USA-styled pancake breakfasts on offer. The family have been selling ice cream to the locals for almost 60 years, made with milk and double cream from their herd who graze on the Dales meadows. Must-trys include the crunchy cinder toffee crunch and the Yorkshire rhubarb.
Holden's Ice Cream - BoltonAn 82-year old family secret lies at the heart of the success of Holden's Ice Cream, which got its start in the 1930s when local shopkeepers Mary and John would sell their home-made ice-cream at the local fete, in containers packed in sawdust to stop it melting.
Fast-forward some 80 years and now it's known across Lancashire for being one of the best. Flavour specialities include marmalade and mulled wine sorbet, but you can still taste the original vanilla, made to that same recipe, that started things off so many years ago.
