I scream, you scream, we all scream… you know the drill
There’s nothing better than an ice cream pit stop on a hot summer day. So why not sit back and relax at some of the tastiest ice cream parlours in and around Manchester? You might even be able to get your pampered pooch a little treat too, as some of these venues also welcome your four-legged friends.
Lazy Sundae
If you haven’t already heard of Lazy Sundae all we can say is where have you been? This Manchester dessert shop is a dream venue for anyone with a sweet tooth. Lazy Sundae is a travel-inspired ice cream and bubble tea shop. Their aim is to transport you through taste to somewhere definitely warmer than Manchester. For example, some of their most well-known scoops take inspiration from the far east, with flavours such as Thai tea, taro cheesecake and mango mochi. You’ll want to fill your boots with these heavenly soft scoops. Lazy Sundae is also home to Japanese souffle pancakes. These are light fluffy clouds of flavour that are topped with fresh fruit or your favourite biscuit crumb. Another one of their unique treats is their sticky, gooey lucky charm marshmallow layer that can be added directly to your waffle cone when ordering a scoop. This pairs deliciously with their cereal milk-flavoured ice cream. So, why not have your own lazy sunday and give this pink, plant-filled tropical paradise a try? Feel free to bring your pooch along too as they also have lactose-free treats, especially for dogs.
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Gingers Comfort Emporium
Gingers Comfort Emporium is one of the many hidden wonders inside Affleck’s Palace in central Manchester. Located on the first floor, this cosy little shop with a vintage vibe is the best place to get a freshly made ice cream or the best place to start your ice cream crawl. However, this is certainly not your standard vanilla, strawberry or chocolate – as they have a menu that is constantly changing with new and unique ingredients. In the past, they have made flavours as crazy as mint wheatgrass and Thai basil, and banana and whiskey butterscotch. This is certainly the place to try something new. With sorbet and vegan options also available, their ice cream is made in their very own kitchen from scratch. Not only that, they also bring fun presentation to their scoops with their fun crunchy rainbow cones. They even have some boozy flavours such as the cheeky Vimto sorbet and their blueberry vodka milkshake. All their delicious flavours are made in small batches, so you are guaranteed a different menu to choose from with every visit, made with fresh ingredients and tons of double cream.
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Milk Maids
Looking for some farm shop freshly made goodness? This location is found in the Greater Manchester area in Dearden Farm Shop. Here, all the ice cream comes from the milk of their Ayrshire cows that live on their award-winning dairy farm. Milk Maids’ ice cream brings tons of flavours, from cabinet classics to some more experimental ones. Manchester tart and Turkish delight are just the tip of the flavour iceberg here, with new flavours every day. If three scoops aren’t enough, you can even buy a big pot from their farm shop to take home for later. This farm café is very popular, so prepare to queue on a sunny weekend – but trust us, it will be worth the wait. Milk Maids is also known for their doughy milk buns. These soft brioche buns are toasted and topped with a scoop of your chosen ice cream and a drizzle of melted chocolate. One of these might just become your new favourite sweet treat. To put it simply, this place is worth the road trip. Even if ice cream doesn’t tickle your fancy, their raw milk makes the creamiest hot chocolates, so why not give one of those a try?
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Black milk
Located on Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter, this is one of the best places in Manchester to give in to your dessert cravings. This retro, San Francisco-inspired café has a fun-packed menu full of cereal-inspired desserts. They also make their own chocolate bars and spreads that you can buy in-store, including pistachio and hazelnut cream. Perhaps best known for its pancake stacks, Black Milk is also home to a mouth-watering range of ice cream. Pistachio, Oreo and Biscoff are some of their most popular options – in fact, the latter ice cream flavour is the main ingredient for their show-stopping Freakshakes. These super-charged milkshakes add a massive slab of cake on top to create a tall tower of sugary delight. So, if you’re down for a sweet masterpiece, and a great choice of music to sing along to whilst tucking into your favourite flavour, visit Black Milk – but be warned: these deserts here are as deliciously rich as they are filling.
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Grandpa Greenes
Nestled in the hills of Diggle, Saddleworth, Grandpa Greenes offers luxury ice cream with a scenic view overlooking the canal. They are a multi-award winning ice cream manufacturer in Manchester that serve luxury brunch and all things sweet. Their ice cream offers perfectly balanced flavours and luxurious textures, all dished up on a stack of pancakes, in a freak shake, on top of a waffle or in a classic sundae. However, the star of the show is their kinder pancake stack. This features four fluffy pancakes layered together with an explosion of chocolatey goodness on top, two scoops of their award-winning ice cream, chocolate shavings, chocolate sauce dripping down the sides, a kinder Bueno bar and a wafer as the cherry on top. Just try not to think of the calories. This foodie heaven, coupled with its waterfront seating and glass-fronted terraces, makes Grandpa Greenes the perfect place to relax. Bring along your furry friend too, as here they offer tasty puppuchinos topped with a dog biscuit alongside dog-friendly ice cream and even a dedicated dog menu featuring little cus of meaty treats.
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