26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
15 best Welsh ice creams worth travelling for to make sunny days even sweeter
15 best Welsh ice creams worth travelling for to make sunny days even sweeter
It's ice cream season - who are we kidding? It's always ice cream season
Basil & Rusty's Ice Cream Parlour's expert taste testers
(Image: John Myers )
Ice cream is a must-have treat all year round, but the desire for a cool and creamy cone or tub becomes even more pressing during the (occasionally) warm summer months.
Wales boasts some fantastic locally-made ice creams that we should all sample. Whether you're in the mood for traditional vanilla, more exotic flavours like mascarpone and fig, an ice cream sandwich, or require a vegan ice cream, we've compiled a list of the best offerings from 13 parlours, kiosks and gelaterias.
Get licking.
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1. Basil & Rusty's Lemon Crunch
In 2022, this Machen parlour won a Diploma of Merit at the National Ice Cream Awards, where they also picked up National Ice Cream Champion 2022. The ice cream is made on-site at the family's Gelliwastad Farm, where the parlour is also located and is run by Geraint and Emma Richards who have adapted their parents' recipes and those from the Minoli family who they bought the business off in the 1980s.
Where: Gelli Farm, Machen, Caerphilly CF83 8JE
2. Wimberry ice cream at Carini's
(Image: WalesOnline/ Rob Browne )
Homemade in a tiny sweet shop in Beaufort, Carini's recipe came over from Bardi 100 years ago, and it's made exactly the same by the descendants of Giacomo Carini.
The shop makes fresh-picked wimberries into ice cream, when in season, of course, and other than that you can get classics like rum & raisin, coconut and Turkish delight.
Read more of Carini's story, here.
Where: 62 Beaufort Rise, Beaufort, Ebbw Vale NP23 5JQ
3. Daisy & Belle's Lemon Meringue
With big chunks of crispy meringue in a lemon ice cream, D&B have fresh Welsh double cream, plus their own skill, to thank for their amazing flavours.
They have an awesome range of vegan flavours, too, including chocolate orange and cherry bakewell.
They do home deliveries and stock in shops across Cardiff, find them, here.
4. Vanilla ice cream at Joe's Ice Cream
There are 25 flavours to choose from today, as well as the traditional vanilla gelato
(Image: Joe's Ice Cream )
Swansea's ice cream legends have an amazing range of flavours at their parlours across south Wales, but their vanilla is to die for. It's got some famous fans in Dame Judi Dench, Joanna Page and royal couple, William and Kate. Recently Joe's celebrates its 100th birthday - read more on that here.
Where: Find your nearest Joe's here.
5. Italian Hazelnut Ice Cream at Two Islands Ice Cream
Many have been raving about this Abersoch ice cream parlour since it opened in 2018 and it's easy to see why. This small-batch ice cream parlour makes the ice cream on-site by using local and natural ingredients. Inspired by their trip to parlours on the west coast of the USA, the small business aims to create rich textures and original flavours. Their Italian Hazelnut is a particular favourite - with its sweet and slightly nutty flavour that makes you feel like you have travelled all the way to Italy with one lick.
Where: Two Islands Ice Cream, Lon Pei Cei, Abersoch, LL53 7DW
6. Calabrisella's dark chocolate
A brilliant Italian Gelateria which makes you feel like you're in the heart of Calabria on a warm Cardiff evening. Other than their fab, creamy dark chocolate gelato (which is vegan) and a library of other flavours, Calabrisella sells coffees, crepes, ice cream sandwiches and celebration cakes.
Where: 187 Cowbridge Rd E, Cardiff CF11 9AJ
7. Vegan Ferrero Rocher, Llanfaes Dairy
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Llanfaes in Brecon has always had lovely dairy-free options but they have ramped it up a notch recently and as well as Ferrero Rocher, you can get coffee, Biscoff, mint choc chip and, of course, all the regular milk-churned ice cream flavours.
Where: 19 Bridge St. Brecon, Powys, LD3 8AH
8. Apple and Blackberry Crumble at Creme Pen Cei
A favourite stop for ice cream-lovers in New Quay, this family-run gelato shop has 40 flavours and makes many, daily. They also have special dietary ice-creams - soya, non-dairy, gluten-free and suitable for diabetics available.
Where: St John St, New Quay SA45 9NG
9. Sub Zero's Cookie Monster
Another parlour with a wealth of sundaes on offer, but their specials are awesome, too.
The Cookie Monster is essentially an ice cream sandwich, vanilla squished between double and triple Belgian chocolate cookies.
Where: Ely Industrial Estate, Williamstown, Tonypandy CF40 1RA/Unit 4 Riverbank Court, Trethomas, Caerphilly, CF83 8BY/ Unit 5, 389 - 413 Malpas Road, Newport, NP20 6WB
10. Fablas' Perky Pig
With the flavour inspired by a certain sweet farm animal, Cowbridge's Fablas ice cream parlour (there's one in Porthcawl, too) uses fresh milk and cream from nearby Ty Tanglwyst Farm, for the most delicious ice creams.
They also have a van which sells soft serve, too.
Where: For information and where to find them, click here
11. Glaslyn's Chocolate Ice Cream
Glaslyn has many award-winning ice creams
(Image: WalesOnline )
This chocolate ice cream has won the Cadbury Trophy Award for their chocolate ice cream in March 2025. Glaslyn is the oldest ice cream parlour in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, dating back to 1970, and has been in the Rowley family for generations. And since then, they have been winning a lot of awards for their amazing ice cream and sorbets.
At this Gwynedd parlour, you'll find your traditional vanilla, mint choc chip and the award winning chocolate flavours, joined by the unique flavours of white chocolate, cheesecake and banoffee. The team created a Welsh Cake flavour for St David's Day 2025, and in the past, they have even produced a Baked Bean flavour for April Fool's Day. You can read their story here.
Where: Glaslyn Beddgelert, WLS, LL55 4YB
12. The Hive's Honey Ice Cream
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A popular place at the Aberaeron seafront, The Hive sells delicious ice cream from their kiosk there, or you might catch their ice cream van in the area, if you are lucky.
Where: Cadwgan Place, Aberaeron SA46 0BU
13. Verdi's Hazelnut Sundae
A trip to Mumbles is not complete without a sit-down sundae at Verdi's cafe.
There are so many options, including a kiwi fruit sundae. Can't say we've seen many of those, but we love the classic chocolate nut sundae.
With vegan ice cream if required, this vanilla bowl is covered in chocolate sauce and roasted peanuts. They also do a banana split.
Where: Knab Rock, Mumbles Rd, The Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4EE
14. Lebanese Coffee from Shepherd's
Shepherd's are ice cream legends on the border and in mid Wales and their Lebanese coffee in one of their signature cones is one of those flavours you'd be hard pushed to get anywhere else.
They have bee making ice cream since 1987, using sheep milk produced on their own farm on the Herefordshire/Wales border.
Where: They have a parlour in Hay-on-Wye (9 High Town, HR3 5AE) or find out where they are stocked
15. A Flying Saucer at the Rangers Hut
The tiny rangers hut in Waterloo Gardens in Cardiff has been transformed into a gelato and candyfloss hatch and serves traditional flavours like raspberry ripple and mint choc chip as well as working with their gelato maker to create new and interesting flavours.
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Where: Waterloo Gardens, Cardiff
