Some things just belong together. Salt and vinegar, ketchup and mustard, Bert and Ernie, and a personal favorite of mine, ice cream and the sea.
A truly British summer experience: when I’m at the seaside I immediately want to eat a 99. Yes, fish and chips are of course the main choice during those English beach trips in the summer, but if you have a sweet tooth like me, a visit to the Mr Whippy bus is just as important as a stop at the chippy.
After a rather dull start to the summer, I was itching to get back to the coast for an ice cream, and thankfully a recent rare spell of warm weather meant I could do just that. I decided to head to Herne Bay, another personal favourite of mine, and hunt down the best of the best.
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After browsing through several review sites, I kept coming across one name: Scoops. Despite my love for all things frozen dairy, this is one store I completely passed by.
But after hearing what previous visitors had to say, I just knew I had to try it out. The ice cream parlor has a TripAdvisor rating of 4.5 out of five stars and 4.6 on Google Reviews.
One reviewer described it as “the epitome of the British seaside” and raved about the huge range of flavours, adding: “Considering they’re always busy, they never run out of what we need.” Scoops proudly proclaims on its website that its multi-award-winning sweet treats are made with Marshfield Farm premium dairy ice cream, with everything from sundaes and cones to sorbets and hot waffles.
That was more than enough to sell me, so when I arrived in Herne Bay on a gloriously sunny day, it was the first place I looked for. And so it went.
Choose and queue
(Image: KentLive)
You can’t miss this ice cream parlour, which sits practically opposite Herne Bay’s iconic clock tower and has a shopfront bluer than Dr Who’s Tardis. It didn’t take long for the reviews to prove themselves right, with a queue stretching out the front door when I arrived, and every seat outside taken.
As I walked in, I noticed a sign that said Scoops sells ice cream for dogs and I noticed that several people in line had brought their furry friends with them. With a scoop made especially for pups, it’s good to know that even our four-legged friends can get a treat to beat the heat.
Even your pup can enjoy a frozen treat here(Image: KentLive)
Another thing that really impressed me was how quickly the line moved and in no time it was my turn to order. Luckily I had waited just long enough to scan the menu and make my choice.
Once again, the reviews were spot on, with a delicious selection of flavours and styles on the menu, from the classic strawberry and chocolate to more unique options like rhubarb and custard. I was definitely a kid in a candy store, so I wanted to go all out on my first visit, so I opted for the Kinder Bueno sundae.
My choice of ice cream
This was quite a pricey option to go with, costing £6.50 for my favourite frozen treat. It’s not often you pay more for an ice cream than you would for a pint in the pub, but once I got it I felt like it would be worth it.
For £6.50 I had high expectations for my ice cream(Image: KentLive)
A veritable mountain of ice cream and whipped cream, topped with chunks of Kinder Bueno, this was a dessert to behold. As mentioned, all the outdoor seating was taken, so I found a bench by the sea and dug into this spectacular frozen creation.
After working my way through the layer of whipped cream, I got to the star of the show. The ice cream itself was simply incredible and everything I could have hoped for.
Scoops definitely lived up to its reputation(Image: KentLive)
Silky smooth in texture and rich in chocolatey Kinder goodness, the thought of the price tag was now a distant memory. With a mixture of both chocolate and vanilla ice cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup and packed with hidden chocolate chunks and bueno bits, this was truly a dessert for the ages.
Pronunciation
By the time I reached the bottom of my ice cream tub, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a few pounds heavier – but God knows it was worth it. While I can’t say I’ll be getting this ice cream every time I return to Herne Bay, I’m certainly glad, for both my wallet and my trouser size, that I tried it.
That said, I will definitely be back to try the other exciting and cheaper scoops. Sorry Mr Whippy, Scoops will be my go-to in Herne Bay from now on.
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