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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Emily Sleight

I visited Nicholls of Parkgate ice cream parlour and discovered why it's so legendary

You don't have to tell me twice to eat some ice cream, but I've never experienced an 'award-winning' ice cream before.

After a lovely mooch around the area, I thought it was time to see what all the fuss was about Nicholls of Parkgate, and now I totally understand the hype. It took just one glance at the hefty queue to realise this place is most certainly popular, so it was time for the ultimate taste test.

If like me, you've been missing out on Nicholls ice cream, let me give you a bit of information about them. The ice cream pros have been making ice cream on site with the finest ingredients for 75 years.

READ MORE: Nine of the best places to go for ice cream in Merseyside

All of their flavours are made in its ice cream factory, which is actually located behind the shop. There are dozens of delicious flavours to choose from, each one said to be handmade using the 'finest Italian flavours.'

Don't get me wrong, I'm not particularly picky when it comes to ice cream, as long as it's cold and it's got a flake I'm happy - but I do know a tasty ice cream when I see one. The first thing that amazed me about Nicholls was its sheer range of flavours, the variety was pretty mind-blowing.

It has its own ice cream factory at the back of the shop (Emily Sleight/ Liverpool ECHO)

From caramel fudge to mint choc chip, strawberry, cinder toffee and banana choc chip to name a few, it's basically paradise for those with a sweet tooth. What I really liked about Nicholls was its retro vibe, the small but mighty ice cream shop was heaving with guests and equipped with other sugary delights like retro sweets, not just ice cream!

For my ice cream, I chose the banana chocolate chip (of course) with a chocolate waffle cone, and I'm not even exaggerating when I say it was the nicest ice cream I've ever had. The sweetness of the banana complemented the chocolate chip perfectly, and the portions were very generous.

My partner chose the black cherry flavour, which he described as 'just the right amount of sweet' with a slight 'tang' of cherry. I had a taste myself and can confirm that it was very delicious.

You could tell this ice cream wasn't any old ice cream you get out of a tub, it was bursting with flavour and had a really creamy taste to it. I'm not usually a fan of cones (which many people find weird) but the combination of the chocolate with the crunchy waffle cone really worked.

It wasn't just the ice cream that was amazing, but the backdrop too. Nestled in Parkgate overlooking the Dee Estuary, an ice cream at Nicholls offers not just a tasty treat, but sheer ambience too.

As I got stuck into my ice cream and looked around me, the queue was getting bigger and bigger with more people enjoying a taste of some premium ice cream. The popular ice cream shops also offer 'special flavours' which visitors have to keep their eye out for to get a taste.

My Nicholls ice cream experience? Moreish. Let's just say I'll be going back there very soon to try out their 'cinder toffee' flavour next, because it sounds absolutely amazing.

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