Have you even been on holiday to Newquay if you don’t get a proper Cornish ice cream to enjoy by the sea? There’s nothing I love more than venturing into an ice cream parlour and marvelling at all the flavours and the potential toppings wondering which one to get.
As a kid, I loved the vibrant options, like candyfloss and bubblegum ice cream, but now I prefer flavours like honeycomb and Cornish fudge. One thing is for certain though – if clotted cream is on the menu, I want the biggest dollop that’ll fit on my cone.
I actially prefer a tub of ice cream, to be honest – unless there’s a delicious chocolate dipped waffle cone on offer. Two scoops is perfect, and if there’s a flake or a fudge stick that can be wedged in, I’ll take one of those too. Please and thank you.
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In my 25 years holidaying in Newquay, it’s safe to say I’ve eaten enough ice creams to know the best from the ‘alright’. I mean, is there such a thing as bad ice cream? This year, I made it my mission to munch my way through as many parlours as I could in a week, to give you an idea of what’s on offer, including flavours, toppings and prices, and here were the best places to get an ice cream in Newquay.
Al Fresco
Callestick Farm have more than 50 fantastic flavours to choose from, with Al Fresco stocking over a dozen of them, including mint choc crisp, rum and raisin, amaretti and cherries, millionaires shortbread and Cornish sea salted caramel. I went for vanilla and salted caramel in a waffle cone with a fudge stick, totalling £4.85.
Kook
At smoothie and milkshake bar Kook, they’re serving up generous scoops of Kelly’s Cornish ice cream from £2.25, with nine flavours to pick from. A single scoop comes in at £2.25, with each additional scoop adding £1 onto the total. Customers can have their ice cream in a cone or a tub – so I opted for a tub this time.
Kelly’s have been making ice cream since 1930 and is made in Bodmin, just a stone’s throw from Newquay. Flavours on offer during my visit to Kook consisted of chocolate, caffe latte, lemon crunch, clotted cream vanilla and cookies and cream. I went for the lemon choice and pink candyfloss, which looked really cute in the little £3.25 pot.
If you’re looking for a little more variety, though, go for one of their milkshakes, with more than 42 different chocolates and sweets flavours to choose from, starting at £3.95 for a small.
Hendra Holiday Park
We always stay at Hendra Holiday Park, and this year, what was the Saltrock Shop has been transformed into an Ice Cream Workshop. There are a couple of ways to enjoy your ice cream here, from build your own cone, sundaes, tubs and waffle cones. The cheapest option is a one scopp waffle cone or tub for £3, but they have some great topping choices you’ll no doubt want to add.
Two scoop cones and tubs cost £4.50, while three is £5.50. The Classic Signature Waffle Cone complete with wafer, chocolate stick, sauce and sprinkles, comes in at £4.95, with sundaes prices from £5.95, including three scoops with cream, a wafer, sauce and sprinkles.
There’s a mix of ice cream an gelato in the counter, including strawberry, white chocolate, banana split and pistachio, as well as brownie, marshmallow and cookies ‘n’ cream. I had white chocolate and Cornish fudge, topped with biscoff sprinkles and a flake, but there’s also things like marshmallows and hundreds and thousands that could be added instead.
Koffi and Crowst
Opening in February 2021, Koffi and Crowst is a bakehouse located on Fore Street, right next door to The Brew and Tattoo. As well as delicious cookie pies and brownies, they also have a little ice cream hatch serving up Callestick Farm scoops, like at Al Fresco. Prices here start at £2.40 a scoop, costing 20p extra for a waffle cone. Two scoops come in at £4, or if you prefer Mr Whippy style soft serve, you can get a cone for as little as £1.50.
There are 11 Callestick Farm flavours, from raspberry sorbet to triple chocolate, sea salt caramel and rhubarb, to mint choc crisp. I went for clotted cream and fudge and clotted cream vanilla with a fudge stick for an extra 50p. You can also add a flake, or mini Snickers or Mars bar, as well as clotted cream for £1. Despite having two scoops and a fudge stick, I was only charged £2.90 on my card. Add-ons for soft serve Smarties, Oreo and Crunchie, and it’s a great option if you prefer ice cream van-style desserts.
Cornish Cream
Cornish Cream is the ideal spot for tourists to pick up gifts for family and friends back home, selling everything from cream teas to locally distilled rum and gin. Also on Bank Street, the shop has it’s own brand of ice cream in store, with flavours from hokey pokey to rum and raisin, having options for both cones and tubs.
Here I got Cornish vanilla and Cornish fudge with a flake and plenty of clotted cream. It set me back an unusual price of £4.88 – but it was worth every penny. The clotted cream really made this ice cream, and was the perfect way to finish off my holiday before the diet kickstarted back home!
