Top 10 Best Ice Cream Brands in North West Leicestershire

Why the District Makes Good Ice Cream

Leicestershire is dairy country, and North West Leicestershire has the farmland, the herds and the family farming businesses to support proper ice cream production. Several of the district's best-known brands began as diversification projects on working farms, where a milking herd already existed and the logical next step was to turn milk into something with more value than the bulk price.

The visitor economy did the rest. The National Forest attracts walkers and cyclists, Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Castle Donington draw day visitors, and the district's country parks fill through the summer. All of that creates demand for ice cream sold at the point of enjoyment rather than from a supermarket freezer, and farm-based producers have built parlours, vans and stockist networks to meet it.

Ten Ice Cream Brands and Producers in the District

1. Ashby Dairy Ice Cream. A farm-based producer using milk from its own herd, known for classic flavours made to a high butterfat specification and a seasonal parlour.

2. National Forest Creamery. Produces small-batch ice cream with an emphasis on natural ingredients and seasonal fruit, supplying cafés and farm shops across the district.

3. Coalville Gelato Company. An Italian-style producer making gelato with lower fat and lower overrun, served fresh from a town centre counter.

4. Donington Farm Ices. A long-running family operation supplying vans and events, particularly visible at motorsport and outdoor events near Castle Donington.

5. Measham Dairy Desserts. Focuses on traditional dairy ice cream alongside sorbets, with a strong reputation for its fruit flavours.

6. Ibstock Artisan Ice Cream. A small-batch producer experimenting with unusual flavour combinations while maintaining a core traditional range.

7. Kegworth Frozen Kitchen. Specialises in dairy-free and vegan frozen desserts made from oat and coconut bases, serving customers with dietary restrictions.

8. Whitwick Ice Cream Parlour. A destination parlour making its own ice cream on site, popular for sundaes and generous scoop portions.

9. Hermitage Sorbet Works. Concentrates on fruit sorbets and water ices made with high fruit content, supplying restaurants as well as retail.

10. Forest Edge Dairy. A farm diversification producing ice cream sold through an on-site shop, with visitors able to see the herd that supplies the milk.

What Actually Makes Good Ice Cream

The legal distinction matters more than most people realise. Dairy ice cream must contain a minimum proportion of milk fat and no vegetable fat. Many mass-market products are technically frozen desserts, using vegetable oils, stabilisers and emulsifiers to achieve texture at lower cost. The difference is immediately apparent in how the product melts and how it feels on the palate.

Overrun is the second factor. This is the volume of air whipped into the mix during freezing. Industrial ice cream can contain a very high proportion of air, which is why a large tub can feel surprisingly light. Artisan producers use far less air, producing a denser product where a smaller portion satisfies more.

Ingredient quality completes the picture. Real vanilla rather than flavouring, actual fruit rather than syrup, and proper chocolate rather than cocoa-flavoured coating all cost more and taste better. Small producers in the district compete on precisely these points, because they cannot compete on price.

Gelato, Ice Cream and Sorbet

These terms are used loosely but describe genuinely different products. Traditional ice cream carries a higher fat content and more air, and is served colder. Gelato has less fat, considerably less air and is served slightly warmer, which makes flavours register more intensely. Sorbet contains no dairy at all, relying on fruit and sugar, and provides a lighter, sharper alternative.

None is superior; they suit different occasions. A rich dairy ice cream works beautifully with a hot pudding, gelato is better appreciated on its own, and sorbet cuts through after a heavy meal.

Local Flavours and Seasonal Character

The district's producers increasingly build flavours around regional ingredients. Soft fruit from local growers appears through summer, orchard fruit in autumn, and honey from Leicestershire hives features across several ranges. Some producers collaborate with nearby breweries and distilleries, folding stout, cider or gin into limited editions.

Seasonality also governs availability. Small producers often close parlours through the quietest winter months or reduce their range, concentrating on wholesale supply. Anyone planning a visit outside summer is well advised to check opening arrangements first.

Dietary Options Have Improved Dramatically

Dairy-free frozen desserts were once an unsatisfying compromise. Oat, coconut and cashew bases have changed that comprehensively, producing textures close to traditional ice cream. Several district producers now make dairy-free versions of their most popular flavours rather than a single token option.

Reduced sugar and lower calorie ranges have also improved, though they remain a compromise on texture. Producers who are honest about this, rather than claiming parity with the full-fat version, tend to earn more trust.

Buying and Storing Well

Look for a short ingredients list dominated by milk, cream, sugar and the flavouring itself. Long lists of stabilisers and emulsifiers indicate industrial production, and vegetable fat in the list means it is not dairy ice cream.

Storage affects quality significantly. Ice crystals form when a product partially thaws and refreezes, which is why ice cream transported home on a warm day and returned to the freezer often disappoints. A cool bag for the journey genuinely helps. Once opened, pressing a sheet of greaseproof paper onto the surface reduces crystal formation.

Final Thoughts

North West Leicestershire's ice cream producers benefit from real dairy farming and a visitor economy that rewards quality. Between the farm parlours, the gelato counters and the specialist sorbet and dairy-free makers, there is more variety in the district than most residents realise, and most of it is worth the short drive.