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.

If you can find Hackney Gelato some of their flavoured are really lovely. Pistachio and almond, chocolate for example and the mango sorbet is so smooth it's really delicious.

Agree with the Waitrose recommendations, their own No 1 range, Remeo gelato and Ottolenghi are great. Hackney Gelato ice lollies too, the strawberry lemonade one is nice and tart.

I don’t know what the ice cream tubs are like from Cook, but the ice lollies are lovely, especially the Mexican lime (although I’m not sure they do these any more) https://www.cookfood.net/menu/desserts/frozen-ice-cream-and-ice-lollies

if ypu live anywhere rural, look out for farm shops offering local brands - the farm near us diversified to pasteurising their own milk and selling it self-service, and also made their own gelato. Probably the same Sugar level as commercial ice cream but a short list of recognisable ingredients including some with honey from their own hives.

I'm with you OP. I think salted caramel ice cream is an abomination. Cookie dough is sickly.

Make your own would be my advice. It's quick and easy once you get the hang of it.

Simple flavours need high-quality ingredients. It's easier to hide the fact that the ice cream is an ultra-processed concoction of various chemicals if the flavour is something like cookie dough and churros or whatever. Besides, most people are so used to the intense and unnatural flavours of ultra-processed foods that they're not interested in a simple chocolate ice cream.

The best ice cream I've ever eaten was a vegan basil flavour ice cream that I had to eat out of politeness, I would have said no normally because it sounded disgusting. It was mind-blowingly delicious, and contained 4 ingredients if I remember correctly!

This from Aldi is incredible!

I adore frozen yogurt. I've got a Ninja Cremi. its fantastic although LOUD. I've just had mango and greek yoghurt. You do have to plan ahead to get the pots frozen but it's better than the proper ice cream maker i had.

I see the photo won’t post yet but it’s lemon and pistachio. Honestly delicious!

I miss tutti frutti, it’s like it was wiped from the face of the earth!

Colpi ice cream is family made and the real thing. I am planning to travel for some.

www.purecolpi.co.uk/

Has anyone seen tubs of ginger ice cream ? I’d love some. I can only get micro pots at a local venue.

Meh. I want either Rum & Raisin or Vanilla.

Oh +1 vote for the Cook lollies.

This is so true regarding the ingredients...

That basil one sounds intriguing! wouldn't mind trying

We are very lucky to have some wonderful dairy’s near us that make their own ice cream and have about 15 flavours in rotation. Booths often stock them although I don’t know if that’s just a northern thing or not? Wallings ice creams are delicious.

I don’t think any ice cream is refreshing. It’s cream and sugar. I really good sorbet can be refreshing, or a fruit juice lolly.
B&J Phish food is amazing though.

Honestly make your own, it’s so simple and can recommend Nigellas no churn recipes, loads on the website including a very very simple lemon ice cream.
https://www.nigella.com/recipes/no-churn-ice-creams

I make some interesting home made ice cream - one of my favourites is the satsuma one from Reader's Digest cookery year.
I do get bored with flavours locally - we live almost next door to Purbeck Ice Cream and even theirs haven't been interesting lately - I remember going to a local cheese festival and they'd made a Blue Cheese ice cream especially but don't do it any more, sadly.
Abroad the most interesting and pleasant flavour I've had recently was on Cyprus - it was like pine tree resin scent. I have no idea what is was called however or I might see if I can make some myself.

I was going to mention Torce! They do a lovely hazelnut ice cream - not Nutella o4 anything like that, but proper hazelnut.

So many good flavours there

There’s a Sheffield brand called Yee Kwan who do some fab flavours - I had melon and cherry ripple at the food festival at the weekend and practically lived off the lychee when I was having chemo. They deliver if you are not Sheffield-based.

The chocolate miso and Thai iced tea flavours sound amazing!

@pinkgown, probably mastic/ mastika https://www.icecreamnation.org/2011/09/mastic-ice-cream/

I remember buying a 3 flavours ice cream from a stall in my hometown (3 scoops of different ice creams)

I think it was chocolate,mint and lemon

I expected the chocolate and mint to be sweet,but the lemon to be sour/tangy and refreshing

The lemon was pure sugar-no hint of tangy or sour,just pure yellow frozen sugar

I feel your pain-ive not been able to buy a 'nice,tastes like it should' ice cream for years

Even the sauce on a mr whippy doesn't taste of sod all anymore

I remember the sauce tasting of chocolate or strawberry as a kid

If I can choose, I will always go for a sorbet! no contest.

Some of those flavours I would just love to sample...right now.

I was about to say the same - sounds like mastika what you described, @pinkgown