We tried every bonkers flavour at London’s new ice cream pop-up

With the UK seeing temperatures like never before this summer, it’s not surprising we’re looking for ways to diversify the humble ice cream.

Magnums are great and all, but what if you could eat an ice cream that tastes like breakfast, lunch and even a cuppa tea?

That’s what’s on offer at fashion designer Anya Hindmarch’s Belgravia pop-up, The Ice Cream Project – and after a trip to the parlour’s debut last year, we decided to send out senior writer, Joanna, down once again, to see what 2023’s stock had to offer.

Arriving at Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project

Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream project is tucked down a street in London’s Belgravia, in a little area known as Anya Hindmarch Village.

With fancy boutiques aplenty, it looks like the sort of place you’d usually only ever window-shop – but for a second year running, Anya’s pop-up has drawn in quite a crowd.

An ice cream parlour like no other… (Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted)

There are people outside taking pictures, and there’s even a queue of customers which stretches out the door and down the road.

If you were on TikTok last year, you’ll already know about Anya’s Ice Cream Project, and you might even be familiar with some of the bonkers flavours, from Heinz ketchup to Coco Pops.

Flavours last year included soy sauce, baked bean and Bird’s custard (each made to honour her fashion collection dedicated to the very same kitchen staples), but this year she’s given the collection a revamp, keeping a couple of old favourites and throwing loads of newbies into the mix, too.

In the sprit of investigative journalism, I’ve gone and tried a whole bunch of ’em for you, lovely Twisted readers.

A table of utterly bonkers ice creams (Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted)

So, without further ado, here’s my honest verdict on the flavours at Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project 2023: 

Ribena Sorbet

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

I must caveat this by saying I don’t like squash (I know, I know, it’s weird).

Saying that, this was basically just a really nice blueberry sorbet – deep purple in colour with little bits of blueberry inside it.

The flavour of this sorbet was really concentrated. It was just the right amount of sweet, creamy and sharp.

If you’re after one of the more refreshing and genuinely tasty options on the menu, Ribena sorbet is a safe way to go.

Ambrosia Rice Pudding Ice Cream

This was another certified hit (Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted)

This one’s another of the crème de la crème.

If you thought rice pudding was one of the most comforting desserts of all time, you’d obviously be correct, but rice pudding ice cream? That might even top it.

Creamy ice cream compliments the rich, sweet and milky flavours of a rice pudding perfectly, and there are even little pieces of starchy rice tucked into this bad boy, too.

This is one of the subtler flavours of the bunch, but it means you could probably eat a dangerous amount straight out of the tub.

Kellogg’s Coco Pops Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

A returning gem.

Just like last year, Coco Pops in ice cream form was a big yes from me – even if, I’ll admit, it was one of the least adventurous options on the menu.

We all knew chocolate ice cream adorned with a Coco Pop garnish was going to be tasty, didn’t we? But nonetheless, I can confirm that it was.

This was richer thank your typical chocolate ice cream. You could taste the cocoa powder and the barley and rice from the cereal gave it a depth of flavour, too.

This reminded of the Coco Pops flavoured milk you’d glug out the bowl as a kid. A proper treat if you’re looking to please your inner child.

Branston Ice Cream

This Branston ice cream is one for the pickle people out there.

Am I a pickle person? I thought I was… but it turns out pickle ice cream didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

It’s made with mellow cheddar cheese and real chunks of Branston pickle (which were a bit off-putting, tbh), but I was so ready to try it and love it.

I think this one needed to lean into its savoury flavours a little more. Perhaps a sharper, saltier cheddar would have done the trick? Instead, it tasted a little sweet and ultimately confused.

A promise of a Ploughmans in ice cream form is hard to live up to. Still, you’ve gotta give props for the innovation.

Kikkoman Soy Sauce Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

Ok. Hear me out. This was one of the best – so much so that I even bought a tub to take home.

That’s why it’s back for another year after a successful debut in 2022, and boy was I glad about it.

Sweet and salty, this offering was the most balanced of all the ice creams. Think salted caramel ice cream but with a slightly more savoury undertone.

You could definitely taste the soy sauce in this scoop, but it wasn’t overwhelming, instead just offering a pleasant umami flavour note.

The PR at Anya’s pop-up tells me that someone on TikTok ate this with their sushi…I would not recommend that one bit. However, plonk a dollop with a rich, chocolate fudge cake and you’re in business.

Maldon Salt Sorbet

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

Rich, dark chocolate sorbet seasoned with chunks of flaked sea salt…what’s not to love about that?

This sorbet was a real treat. It was bold. It was rich. It was crying to be plonked on top of a chocolate cake and scoff greedily.

If Coco Pops ice cream made you feel like a kid, this tub essentially did the opposite. It made me feel all grown up and sophisticated.

Granted, it would be quite hard to scoff a lot of this sorbet in one go, because it’s heavy.

Buy some and save it to enjoy in small doses. You won’t regret it.

Tiptree Lemon Curd Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

I thought this might be a flavour that would make me wince, but it was a smart move to make this an ice cream not a sorbet.

You see, Tiptree Sicilian lemon curd is another one of those flavours that just comes together when you add some dairy into the mix.

The sharp, tart zinginess was there, but so was the luscious creaminess, and the two worked in glorious harmony.

This might not be one of the daring choices, but it’s one of the genuinely, really nice ones.

Dangerously scoffable.

KP Original Salted Peanut Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

Oooft. This one was a banger.

The ice cream was smooth and velvety, but you could taste the rich, roasted flavour of the nuts coming through, too.

There were some nutty chunks in there for good measure and the saltiness really delivered here too, creating a nice balance of sweet and savoury.

Am I surprised a peanut ice cream worked? Not in the slightest.

If you love peanut butter, you’re going to want a generous scoop of this.

Warburtons Crumpet Ice Cream

Crumpet ice cream is a rogue one, sure, but Anya made me question why it wasn’t on all supermarket shelves.

It just worked. It was sweet and buttery and carby, kinda like a stack of pancakes you’d order if you went for brunch.

There was a lightly toasted flavour to this one, and actual chunks of spongey crumpet in every mouthful, which was a fun touch.

It was also one of the least controversial flavours of the bunch. Was it weird? Absolutely. But before I tried it I knew it was gonna slap.

Bird’s Eye Petit Pois

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

From crumpet to Bird’s Eye Petit Pois… oh, the contrast.

It has to be said that this one wasn’t one of my faves, although there was nothing unpleasant about the flavour itself.

Pea ice cream should work in theory – because peas are sweet and all that – however this was a bit thick and lumpy, like frozen mushy peas.

There were actual peas in there, which I wasn’t mad at, but if they’d made this a smoother blend I reckon it would have been more appetising.

Instead, this scoop kind of looked ready to be dolloped on a plate alongside a chippy tea.

Blue Dragon Original Sweet Chilli Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

Sweet chilli sauce ice cream is something I never would have imagined working, and reader, I think I was right.

I’ve seen others claim this was their favourite flavour of the bunch, so don’t be fully swayed by my tastebuds.

However, for me, the balance of vanilla ice cream and sweet chilli sauce was just a little off, and it kind of just tasted like… cold vanilla stir fry?

The description for this one promised a touch of heat, and that would have been welcome, actually. Instead, the sweetness kind of took over.

Still, I dare you to try it.

Heinz Ketchup Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

This was a 2022 hit, hence why it’s back on menus.

Perhaps the most divisive ice cream of the lot, the Ketchup scoop was actually pretty uncontroversial in flavour.

It was sweet, tangy, and (you guessed it) tomatoey – basically a more palatable approach to a scoop of frozen Heinz Ketchup.

More sugary and less savoury, you could probably dunk a chip in it if you really wanted, but it didn’t taste too much like the condiment to the point where a whole tub of it would, quite frankly, just be rank.

As with all the other savoury options, a hardcore ketchup fanatic might have been disappointed that this didn’t pack the same punch, but I can see why Anya’s ice cream connoisseurs went in a slightly subtler direction.

Unfortunately, there were two ice creams I didn’t get to try, because the shop had sold out – Kellogg’s Rice Krispy and McVitie’s Digestive.

I’m assured they were actually two of the biggest hitters (which explains why there wasn’t any left!). Still, I think that’s a review in itself, isn’t it.

If you make it down there and manage to try ’em, let us know what you think!

Here are the official descriptions for them, to whet your appetite.

• McVitie’s Digestive Ice Cream- Blended with the ‘classic sweet and salty crunch’ of the original digestive biscuit.
• Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Ice Cream – Rich, creamy milk with toasted rice

Check out the descriptions of all the ice creams for 2023 here. 

Intrigued what we thought of the 2022 flavours?

Don’t worry, I’ve got you.

They might not be for sale any more, but we wouldn’t blame you if you were curious what Kellogg’s Frosties, Heinz mayo and Kikkoman soy sauce taste like in ice cream form.

Read on to find out all…

HP Sauce Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

I can’t pretend I was looking forward to this one. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about brown sauce on a burger or a sausage, but in ice cream form? Surely not.

To my relief, the malty flavours you’d expect in HP Sauce didn’t really come through, here. However, instead, the ice cream itself just tasted rather sweet and tangy, thanks to the fruity notes of tomato and tamarind.

All in all, I found this scoop rather confusing. It was emulating the flavours of HP Sauce, but trying too hard to taste like a sweet ice cream at the same time.

I almost wanted it to commit a little harder to being savoury (with a stronger hit of spices, perhaps), but it just stopped short.

Saying that, if you love HP Sauce it’s definitely one to tick off the bucket list.

Kellogg’s Frosties Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Frosties ice cream just worked.

Think crunchy Frosties layered on top of a sweet and a creamy scoop of ice cream, which tasted reminiscent of the sugary milk left in the bottom of the bowl at the end of your breakfast.

This scoop delivered on texture and also on flavour. Not only did it taste like breakfast, but it tasted like nostalgia.

Screw cereal, I would go as far to say that I could eat this every day.

Polo Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

There’s no way of sugarcoating this. This ice cream just tastes like pure spearmint. Although, so does a Polo, so I guess that means they nailed this one?

The Polo ice cream definitely serves a purpose, acting as a palate cleanser after some more of the questionable flavours on the menu.

I’d probably love it if a restaurant gave me a small scoop of this after a big meal. However, I’d steer clear of ordering a whole tub, unless you want to feel like you’ve just swallowed a tube of toothpaste…

Bird’s Custard Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

This is the solution to the age old ice cream or custard debate. It’s pretty genius because it basically offers both in one fell swoop.

Bird’s Custard was perhaps the flavour that leant itself the most to ice cream, because the two contain many of the same ingredients, and it’s so inherently creamy and rich, anyway.

Sweet and luxurious – not only would this work beautifully dolloped alongside a crumble, but I’d also happily eat it on its own, as an alternative for your standard vanilla scoop.

Lyle’s Golden Syrup Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

This one was another corker. You might expect golden syrup to be a little too sweet, but again, the milkiness of the ice cream really offset that perfectly.

Granted, you probably couldn’t eat a whole pot of this one, but dump a scoop of it next to your pudding and you’re going to be in for a treat.

I must admit, a somewhat ‘normal’, sugary flavour also came as a welcome relief after some of the less desirable savoury options.

10/10, would buy again.

Lea and Perrins Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

Like the condiment itself, Lea and Perrins’ Worcestershire sauce ice cream wasn’t dissimilar to the ketchup or brown sauce versions, except for the fact it was slightly more sour, with a bigger hit of tamarind.

There were also some salty and umami flavour notes going on here, as well as a hint of spice.

However I can’t pretend it tasted quite right in ice cream form.

Quirky? Yes. Genuinely enjoyable? Not so much.

Heinz Salad Cream Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

I’m going to level with you. I hate Salad Cream, so this one was always going to be a bias review.

Saying that, I simply can’t understand why anybody would order this one. It was like the mayo ice cream, but with much more of an acidic, mustardy kick.

The sweetness that had been rather generously added to the Ketchup and HP Sauce ice creams was amiss here, and instead all you tasted was the condiment, in its pure, vinegary form.

Who knows? Maybe that’s what floats some people’s boats, but it was a no from me.

Heinz Mayo Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

Making mayo ice cream taste pleasant is a tough gig, let’s be honest.

Mayo itself is a wonderful condiment, but it doesn’t really taste of much – it’s basically just lemony and slightly eggy.

In some ways, that was the saving grace of this ice cream. Compared to the likes of HP Sauce and ketchup, it was actually quite mild, although there was an unmistakably ‘mayo-ey’ aftertaste that lingered on the tongue.

It’s quirky and different, so you’ll probably appreciate trying this ice cream once. However, we can’t think of an instance where would ever actually eat this IRL.

Quaker Rolled Oats Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

This one was interesting. I love a bowl of porridge for breakfast, but there were so many dry porridge oats stirred into this ice cream that they left my tongue feeling bristly.

That aside, the ice cream itself was pretty tasty – thick and velvety and almost savoury with oatiness, if not for the hint of maple syrup that had been thrown in there, too.

On its own, I’d order this one again, but the oats mixed through it didn’t quite work.

Heinz Baked Beans Ice Cream

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Baked Bean ice cream – bleugh. I’ll confess before trying this, the thought made me shudder (as did the promotional picture in which you could see a tub with literal frozen beans sitting on top).

However, thankfully, my scoop came without any beans, and actually tasted a little better than expected.

It was certainly distinctly ‘baked-beany’ in flavour but, as with the HP Sauce, the primary taste was tomato, and that, alongside the sweetness of the ice cream, kind of dominated over anything else.

Would you order this for anything other than novelty value? Absolutely not. But was it horrid? Also no.

Those who like beans should definitely try it – although maybe not on toast.

PG Tips Ice Cream

Credit: Joanna Freedman for Twisted

Tea lovers, assemble. I can now confirm that PG Tips ice cream is an absolute revelation.

Distilled in ice cream form, the first thing I noticed is how the flavour notes of the tea really sung. You got all the richness and body of the tea in each spoonful of ice cream, and the creaminess of the ice cream replaced the milk you’d usually have in your cuppa, so it actually tasted remarkably similar.

This is the sort of ice cream you could eat a lot of – and I could have, if I didn’t still ten more ice creams to try.

It’s delightfully fragrant and moreish. Just pass a rich tea biscuit for dunking and I reckon I could have happily polished off a pot.