Top 10 Best Ice Cream Brands in Thanet

Ice Cream and the Thanet Seafront

Ice cream occupies a particular place in the culture of the English seaside, and Thanet is no exception. The district's beaches, from the broad sands of Margate to the sheltered bays around Broadstairs and the promenades of Ramsgate, have supported ice cream sellers for well over a century. What has changed is the quality and variety on offer.

Where the traditional soft-serve cone once dominated, visitors now encounter artisan gelato, high-butterfat dairy ice cream from Kentish farms, plant-based sorbets and small-batch producers experimenting with local fruit and unusual flavour combinations. The competition has raised standards considerably.

Ten Ice Cream Brands and Parlours in Thanet

1. Bay View Gelato. An artisan gelateria producing daily batches in small quantities. Gelato is churned at lower speed with less air than conventional ice cream, giving a denser texture and more intense flavour. Its pistachio and seasonal fruit sorbets are the standout items.

2. Kentish Dairy Ice Cream. A farm-based producer using milk and cream from its own herd. The traditional dairy style, rich and clean-tasting, appears in tubs across the district as well as from the farm's own outlets. Provenance is genuine rather than decorative.

3. Margate Sands Creamery. A seafront parlour known for both scooped ice cream and a well-made traditional soft serve. Its willingness to maintain classic seaside offerings alongside more ambitious flavours has earned it a broad following across generations.

4. Broadstairs Beach Scoops. A long-standing kiosk operation serving the bays around Broadstairs. Reliability, generous portions and a straightforward flavour list have made it a fixture of family beach days for years.

5. Harbour Ice Works. A Ramsgate producer working with unusual savoury-adjacent flavours alongside conventional ones, including herb, honey and salted combinations. Its experimental approach attracts visitors specifically seeking something different.

6. Orchard Lane Sorbets. Specialists in dairy-free sorbets and plant-based ice creams made with oat and coconut bases. Its fruit sorbets, built around Kentish apples, plums and berries in season, are intensely flavoured rather than merely sweet.

7. Cliftonville Gelato House. A parlour producing Italian-style gelato with a rotating seasonal board. The team makes its own bases and pays close attention to serving temperature, which has a greater effect on texture than most customers realise.

8. Thanet Traditional Ices. A producer focused on classic British flavours including vanilla, rum and raisin, mint choc chip and traditional wafer sandwiches. Its commitment to doing familiar things well has kept it popular where trend-chasing rivals have come and gone.

9. Sea Glass Ice Cream Co. A small-batch maker known for visually striking flavours and colourful presentation, popular with younger visitors. Despite the presentation, the underlying custard bases are carefully made.

10. Westgate Frozen Desserts. A dessert-focused operation offering sundaes, affogato, ice cream cakes and frozen desserts for events and celebrations. It supplies restaurants across the district as well as serving the public directly.

Understanding the Differences

The distinction between categories is worth knowing. Dairy ice cream contains a minimum proportion of milk fat and typically has a rich, rounded flavour. Gelato contains less fat and less incorporated air, producing a denser texture and a more forward flavour, and is served slightly warmer. Sorbet contains no dairy at all, relying on fruit and sugar for structure. Soft serve is produced continuously at a warmer temperature with more air, giving its characteristic lightness.

None is inherently superior; they simply achieve different results. A good producer understands which style suits which flavour.

Signs of Quality

Look at the display. Gelato piled into elaborate mountains often contains stabilisers and air to maintain the shape; traditional gelaterias increasingly store product in covered metal pozzetti at controlled temperature. Colours should be plausible rather than vivid, since natural pistachio is dull green and natural strawberry is pale pink.

Check the ingredient list if displayed. Short lists built around milk, cream, sugar, eggs and real flavouring ingredients indicate craft production. A good producer will happily explain what goes into their base.

Seasonality and Local Produce

Kent's fruit-growing tradition gives Thanet producers a genuine advantage. Strawberries, cherries, plums, apples and pears appear in seasonal flavours, and several makers preserve fruit at peak ripeness for use later in the year. Local honey, dairy and even coastal salt feature in the more thoughtful ranges.

Dietary Options

Provision for dietary needs has improved markedly. Most established Thanet producers now offer at least a few vegan options, and several maintain separate scoops and storage to manage allergen risk. If you have a serious allergy, ask directly about cross-contamination procedures rather than relying on menu labelling alone.

Final Thoughts

Thanet's ice cream offering has grown from a simple seaside staple into a genuinely varied part of the district's food scene. Traditional dairy producers, artisan gelaterias, sorbet specialists and classic beach kiosks all have their place. The most enjoyable approach is to try several across a single visit, comparing styles as you move along the coast.