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Reaching for that tenth tub of ice cream this week? August in London can make us all go a bit excessive – who doesn't want to consume copious amounts of cow product in the (semi) blistering heat? But if you're looking to cool down without feeling quite so guilty about it, why not go for a dairy-free alternative that you can pretend is good for you? Here are the best creams and sorbets that are totally free of animal products, and rather tasty too.
Yorica
Yorica opened earlier this year to much excitement; they claim to be entirely allergen-free. Situated on Soho’s Wardour Street, the parlour makes its ice cream with rice milk, and are not only free from dairy, but also nuts, eggs and gluten… what’s left? There’s a range of ice-cream bases – from simple Good Vibes Vanilla to the more unusual bubblegum or beetroot and chocolate – all of which can be fancied up with various sprinkles and sauces. 130 Wardour Street, W1F 8ZN.
Snowflake Gelato
Snowflake caters for all sorts, but those hoping to avoid the creamy stuff should look to their sorbet or vegan ranges. The vegan line is made from soy or rice milk, and follows the parlour's commitment to all-natural ingredients. That doesn’t mean these are boring. Chocolate, peanut butter, coconut and banoffee flavours all feature on the menu. They have also recently partnered with Teapigs to create a matcha, coconut cream and soya milk variety. Various addresses, Soho, Bayswater, Chelsea and Edgware Road.
La Gelateria
This Covent Garden spot has a superb line of sorbets which are all vegan, but much creamier than your typical sorb’, and made with 100 percent natural ingredients. Lovers of marzipan should go for the almond flavour, and those hoping to balance out the good with the bad should pick the mojito rum, with rum, cane sugar, lime and fresh mint. 27 New Row, Covent Garden, WC2N 4LA.
Lick
Lick has a big menu and keeps things simple by clearly stating any allergens or free-froms – so there's no standing at the front of the queue holding people up while you enquire. They do a decent chocolate, as well as forest berries, lychee, mojito, strawberry champagne and wild cherry. 55 Greek Street, W1D 3DT.
The Canvas Cafe
Freakshakes did the rounds a few months ago – basically, they're freaking enormous ice-cream shakes – and now Brick Lane's Canvas Cafe is offering them up to dairy-free foodies. These big piles of wonder start with an ice-cream base, in this case, made with coconut milk and bananas, and are then blended with almond milk and topped with 'raw, vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free homemade cake'. Yum. 42 Hanbury St, E1 5JL.