Home » Archives for May 3, 2022

Day: 3 May 2022

Producer of the Month: Brickell’s Ice Cream

We’re firm believers in eating ice cream all year round, especially when it’s as delicious as Somerset based Brickell’s! We caught up with founder Rob Gore to talk to him about all things cold & creamy.

When did your calling for ice cream first begin? 

My brother and I always discussed ice cream as a potential business to use the great Westcombe Dairy milk from the family farm. It wasn’t until I saw what was going on with the craft ice cream scene in the US that I got excited about doing it. There aren’t many people doing craft ice cream this way in the UK and it fits in with the same ethos of what we already had going with cheese: focusing on traditional production and quality.

Craft production is at the heart of your business, why?

For us, its the only way to make interesting ice cream. The whole industry has been geared towards low price and ease of production whereas on the craft side of things have been completely minimised. If you’re just buying flavourings from a flavour house and stirring it into an ice cream base and freezing, then there is no real skill to what you’re doing. Freeing yourself from the flavour houses, and making everything from scratch forces you to learn how to formulate ice cream recipes, which enables you to make whatever flavour you want, not what’s on offer.

It is like choosing a favourite child… but if you had to pick a favourite flavour?

Anything chocolate! Always been my go to from a young age. I really like sharp fruit flavours too but they are a challenge to get the flavour through. We are working on a seasonal summer special which will hopefully hit the brief.

Favourite places to visit in Somerset?

Glastonbury town is a great day out. The town is wacky and the views from the Tor across the levels are fantastic. Stourhead house and gardens are stunning, one of my favourite places. Of a similar, slightly more polished ilk, the Newt is a lovely place to walk around and have a cider, as is Hauser & Wirth gallery and garden in Bruton for a bit of culture. We have Bath and Bristol down the road too.

Best Somerset eateries?

So many great places opening up on our doorstep. 2 favourites from down the road in Bruton are Matts Kitchen and the Old Pharmacy (sister to Osip next door which is also great, but more of a Michelin star special occasion). Pub wise, I love the Talbot Inn in Mells and The Bradley Hare where we supply to. On the list to try are 28 Market Place (Somerton) and Landrace Upstairs (Bath).

You can find the latest flavours of Brickell’s Ice Cream in store in our dessert freezer. 

Celebrating 100 Years of Burrata

The year is 1922. At a dinner in Paris, the stars of the Modernist movement Sergei Diaghilev, Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Proust, James Joyce, Erik Satie and Clive Bell dine together in Paris at The Majestic Hotel – the only time they would all meet together. Centre Court at Wimbledon is opened by King George V. The inventor of the modern telephone Alexander Graham Bell passes away. And in Apulia, one hundred years ago, legend has it that a local cheesemaker Lorenzo Bianchino Chieppa invents burrata.

The world’s favourite cheese was created as a clever use for leftovers from the mozzarella making process while also keeping cheese fresh in the days before refrigeration. Leftover strips of stretched curd were placed in a pouch of mozzarella (made by blowing warm, fresh mozzarella to make a balloon) and topped up with the cream that formed on top of that morning’s milking. The cream acted as a preservative to prevent the mozzarella strips turning acidic. The pouch was dipped in brine to toughen the outer layer before being wrapped in asphodel leaves to keep the burrata moist and fresh. As long as the leaves were green, the cheese inside remained fresh.

It remained a local delicacy until the 1950s when larger Italian cheese production factories caught wind. Yet it is still considered a gourmet cheese to this day, thanks to its complex production process and short shelf-life. Grab a bunch of fresh basil, prosciutto crudo, your favourite olive oil and a loaf of crusty bread… and celebrate 100 years of this glorious cheese.

Find it fresh in store. 

May’s Best Seasonal Produce

Things start to get colourful this month ~ some wonderful favourites come into season.

Alphonso mangos

If a single mango could reach perfection, this Indian variety would be it and its season starts in May. Softer and juicier than the reddish green Tommy Atkins mangoes you’ll find more readily in supermarkets, these are less stringy in texture and easier to peel away from the skin. We look forward to them without fail every year. Find them here.

Apricots

We’ll see the start of French apricot season at the end of May. Early varieties like the Early Blush and Tom Cot will arrive first, followed by the delicate Rouge de Rousillon and Kioto as we move into summer and ending with late season sweet Orangé de Provence, Bergarouge and Bergeron in August. We’ll be making Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh’s apricot and amaretto cheesecake. Find them here.

Carrots

English carrots are coming in! We’ll have Baby, Rainbow, Purple, Yellow, Chantenay and mixed bunches. Look for recipes to eat them steamed so they keep their antioxidents and other nutrients. We also love them roasted with za’atar and drizzled with a zesty yoghurt. Find them here. Find them here.

Also in season: Asparagus, Elderflower, French beans, Globe Artichoke, Lamb’s Lettuce, Melon, Nectarines, Peas, Radish

DELIVERY ZONE INFORMATION

Local London Delivery

Due to the nature of our range, some items can only be delivered within the London area. If your order containers any flowers or fresh fruit then you will need to live locally to be able to have it delivered. Sushi is delivered within a 3 mile radius of our store.

Nationwide Delivery

All other goods can be delivered nationwide (excluding Highlands and Islands) via our partner couriers. There is a slightly larger delivery cost for this service outside of London.

Collection In Store

Everything on the store can be ordered for collection from our store. Orders must be picked up on your chosen collection date, and can be picked up from the store between the hours of 9am – 6pm, seven days a week. If your order was placed online, please bring your order confirmation when collecting.

Certain goods can be sent overseas, please call for more information.