Why is it (almost) impossible to find good ice cream flavours in shops?

[exhaustDAD]

Lighthearted, please don't take this personally if you disagree - everyone loves what they love.
(It is also a little bit making me annoyed at myself for being annoyed by such a first-world problem.)

Ice cream. Very topical with our heatwave here in the UK. For the longest time the ice cream flavours in shops are making me feel like an old grump. But this year, with people raiding ice cream freezers in shops it is even worse. I am a very fruit-oriented guy. To me limes, lemons, grapefruits, cherries, etc are refreshing. You can even go crazy, and combine your lime with bits of mint, something that makes sense. Or combine cherries with chocolate, it is divine.

But why on god's green earth is the majority of ice cream stacked in the shops are random, overkill flavours? I am sorry, cookie dough is not a flavour. oreos, or whatever random brand of sweet is not a flavour. All my boring face is trying to do is spot a nice, simple flavour... like a passion fruit... When I reach for "lemon" I don't need it to be lemon cheesecake. Cheesecake is not a flavour. it is a dessert of its own. Are people really loving these nonsensical inventions? Why can't a flavour be clear, and not an "ice creamified" specific dessert/sweet?

And I am talking about actual, good ice cream here. Not the lemon sorbet that is 45 spoons of sugar with lemon essence.

Why do I always find proper and clean flavours in the most remote farm shops if I want to buy some? The reign of silly ice cream flavours needs to end...

(oh, and a little personal addition that will make me unpopular: vanilla can die a painful death, too. It was already boring even when I was a kid. There is a reason we say "he/she's a bit vanilla". And yet vanilla is the flavour that you have stacks and stacks of from all brands.. )

Yes, I know we can make our own. And yes, I know some cafes have wonderful handcrafted ice cream.. I specifically aimed at shops.

All bog standard ice creams taste like coconut anyway now.

Check out Waitrose. They have some nicer flavours.

But yes, the cookie dough and toffee everything trend is getting a bit boring!

Waitrose stock Ottolenghi brand Pistachio with Sour Cherry. It is the dessert of the gods.

I assume because those sell predictably well. I mean, I don't disagree with you. I love sharp sorbets and fruity/floral things a blood orange sorbet and a gin and lavender flavoured icecream would make me v happy), and I find DH's affection for B and J's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough baffling (the texture is horrid, apart from anything else), but I assume the supermarkets stock what sells.

I am with you - they have a few that actually are pretty good. I think right now it's a race who can get some before the shelves are empty every day.

I quite like it, indeed. I think there's like 3 flavours of that line, but the cherry+pistachio is definitely my fav

You are definitely speaking my language... I think I pulled a face as I read your line regarding the choc chip cookie dough one. And heck, I am not a picky eater, but those things sound horrid.

I suppose you are right, but it's beyond me why there is such a high demand for nonsense like this.

Now a good blood orange sorbet... lavender ice cream is lush, too.

100%

Theres a chain of ice cream shops that does a fabulous lime & basil, so refreshing.

Lime and basil? oh, now that is something I would dive into.

Unfortunately in London you have to go to the expensive gelato shops like Amareno or Venchi to get well made ice-cream in grown up flavours. The gelato counter in Eataly is also very good. Brits have always been useless at making good ice cream imo.

you have to spend quite a bit of money, probably at least £6 a litre. The cheap ones are awful and Ben and Jerrys/Hagandaas are so boring now.

I'm lucky in that I live in a small place where a lot of nice stuff is hard to buy, but there are 3 competing gelato manufacturers. Who compete quite hard. The independent stuff is lovely - but not cheap.

I think the amount of sugar in the double choc chip dough caramel mass produced icecreams disquises the poorer quality ingredients.

Omg there is a cherry and pistachio in existence? I need to get that!

I hear you. I always like Amorino. It's good to eat on a stroll or something, but can't really buy a tub, haha. Ironically, first time I had it was in Malta.

You really do!

And that is exactly it..

The best ice cream is in Devon and Cornwall and doesn’t get sold other than locally. Outrageously gorgeous, but local ice cream, for local people!

That is most likely the case re: sugar.

Which manufacturers are the ones around you?

Sounds lush!

Oooh, that does sound nice!

I like the Cherry Magnum.

Haagen Dazs not the same anymore…

Can I also suggest Gelateria Torce in Rome? They have super unusual flavours, like parmesan, celery, carrot

I really miss frozen yogurt

I quite like some of the Tesco finest ones. They do a good pistachio and another decent coffee.

In Scotland we have some very good ice cream companies, founded by Italians who came over about 100 years ago. Porelli, Equi, di Luca, di Rollo, Crolla. Quite often you'll see their tubs for sale in shops, I'm sure Asda in the Glasgow area used to sell Porrelli but i'm not sure if they still do.

Anyone seen a Lemon Cornetto at all?

Loved them. Sometimes find one, on holiday!

Waitrose do a lovely Alphonso mango sorbet. I agree on the ones full of toffee bits and biscuits etc. I know ice cream is sweet but it just makes it way too sickly.