Taste of summer: Eight strawberry ice creams put to the taste test

Try out these ice creams for all their strawberry goodness this summer.

Pleasantly creamy.

Iceland Made in Italy Strawberries & cream 900ml €2.50

Separate pink and white swirls drizzled with sauce have pops of meringue to add to already sweet ice-cream. Pleasantly creamy, not disliked, but not top of the list for any of the tasters.

Score: 6

Magnum Double chocolate & strawberry tub 440ml €6.

The first thing we need to do is penetrate a thick topping of chocolate which seals in the ice-cream top and bottom. It is also flecked throughout with chocolate. The chocolate overpowers the strawberry swirls which are mottled with plain ice-cream.

Magnum. Picture Dan Linehan

The least strawberry flavoured of all samples, but one taster liked the chocolate and strawberry combination.

Score: 6.25

Carte d’Or Les Classiques Strawberry 1000ml €5.30

Carte DOR. Picture Dan Linehan

The bright pink colour belies a natural strawberry flavour. The texture was quite heavy for the children but the adults described it as creamy. Strawberry pieces throughout lightened it and there are no artificial colours or flavours. Tasters liked it.

Score: 8

Lidl Gelatelli Strawberry & Vanilla cones 720ml €1.59

Six 120ml cones (smaller than some others, but large enough) have half and half vanilla and strawberry ice-cream with a generous amount of strawberry-flavoured sauce which has a natural flavour.

Gelatelli strawberries and Vanilla. Picture Dan Linehan

For environmental reasons, we don’t like to see palm oil in food. The overall flavour is not oversweet.

Score: 7

Yum Gelato Strawberries & Cream 520ml €7.50

An attractive mottled combination of white and pink colours, it was devoured by all. The white is plain and the pink has a fresh strawberry taste, from fresh strawberry purée and sugar and milk and cream, just as we would make ourselves. Delicious.

Yum strawberries and cream. Picture Dan Linehan

For the moment (while social-distancing measures are being put in place) just in Cork from Bradleys, North Main Street; O’Keeffes, St Lukes; Menloe Stores, Blackrock.

Score: 9.95

Cornetto strawberry cones 540ml €3.70

Six 90ml cones hold strawberry and vanilla flavours in two separate layers. The chocolate- lined cones are topped with very sweet strawberry sauce and not very chocolatey white chocolate pieces.

Strawberry Cornetto. Picture Dan Linehan

The vanilla ice-cream lacks vanilla flavour, but the strawberry flavour is decent. Good cones.

Score: 7

M&S 4 strawberry cones 440ml €2.30

M&S strawberry ice cream cones Picture Dan Linehan

Each 110ml chocolate lined cone has a light, creamy ice cream inside. Good strawberry flavour all the way through, topped with strawberry sauce and flecks of white chocolate. Fair price.

Score: 8.5

Tesco 4 Strawberry vanilla cones 440ml €1.89

Tesco strawberry & vanilla cones. Picture Dan Linehan

Each 110ml silver-wrapped chocolate-lined cone is drizzled with strawberry sauce and topped with meringue pieces. The ice-cream is divided into separate vanilla and strawberry flavours. Tasters found the strawberry flavour lacking, but were glad it tasted natural.

Score: 6.5