6 OF THE BEST

Luxury ice creams

By Pip Sloan

Sunburn and soggy barbecues may be two of summer’s inevitabilities, but there’s a third – we eat more ice cream. What’s most interesting, however, is that Britons are increasingly reaching for ice cream throughout the winter, too, so it’s not just the recent heatwave that has boosted sales (which have risen by three per cent over the past year). And despite the eternal popularity of chocolate and vanilla, we are becoming more adventurous in our tastes. The market has been flooded by new contenders, from low-calorie options by brands such as Oppo and Halo Top, to more imaginative flavours from household names such as Häagen-Dazs. Whether it’s an upmarket Italian gelato (slow churned for a denser texture), or an ice cream infused with botanicals (inspired by the gin craze) or even a little alcohol, there’s more choice than ever before. Here are six of the best for after-dinner scoffing since, trust us, one scoop is never enough.

WAITROSE 1 RICH CHOCOLATE SORBET WITH SEA SALT CARAMEL ICE CREAM £3.69 FOR 500ML, WAITROSE

The 70 per cent dark chocolate sorbet is gorgeously intense and rounded, while the caramel core provides a contrasting hit of sweet, salty creaminess. A big hit. 10/10

£4.20 FOR 500ML, OCADO

A gut-busting, gloriously rich and creamy caramel ice cream studded with fudgy nuggets of sticky toffee pudding. This dessert will have you digging around for the good bits (though, to be honest, it’s all delicious). 9/10