6 OF THE BEST

Ice lollies, tried and tasted

By Morgan Lawrence

Ice lollies on a stick – whether striped rockets or wildly kaleidoscopic – were once the preserve of children. But thanks to the rise of frozen cocktails and boozy popsicles, these nostalgic treats are being repurposed to appeal to grown-up tastes, with adult flavours, some alcoholic, but many not, and textures (with real fruit in the mix), being rolled out by artisan lolly-makers and supermarket brands alike.

Ice Kitchen recently launched a range of gourmet lollies with fresh fruit set into the frozen purée, along with infusions including rosé and gin. Meanwhile, Solero is trialling wrapper-less “naked” versions of its lollies made from organic fruit juice, and Lickalix offers unusual flavours with compostable packaging.

That this refreshing (and once plastic-heavy) treat is now part of the zero-waste movement is very welcome – but do these modern lollies hit the spot? Here’s our verdict on the latest offerings.

LICKALIX MANGO RASPBERRY SWIRL £3.99 FOR THREE, OCADO

These are so icy and compact that the flavour is subtle – keep sucking and it comes through at last. Raspberry is the standout fruit, but seems overly sweet and jammy in comparsion with the tart fresh berries. However, there are plenty of seeds to offer a pleasant texture. 6/10

£2.20 FOR SIX, OCADO

These will appeal to vegans and non-vegans; the tropical combination of coconut cream and passion fruit works extremely well. They’ve a fragrance much like piña colada, and thanks to their velvety structure there’s a wonderfully soothing creaminess, too. 7/10