Bugle Rates Stourgate's Ice Creams
With the summer season drawing to a close, a Bugle reporter set out to rate Stourgate’s ice cream offering, visiting two dedicated ice cream bars, a cafe, and the Tesco Express on Stourgate Road.
The two ice cream bars, Seaview Scoops and Nolan’s, both offer a range of soft and scoop options along the seafront. The reporter also visited The Kettle, a cafe on the High Street that serves ice cream alongside its regular menu, and picked up a Big Feast from the Tesco Express.
Seaview Scoops has recently reopened after a closure for health reasons, Nolan’s has reopened following the pancake scandal, and The Kettle has just recorded the lowest hygiene rating possible. A 99 Flake was sampled at both Seaview Scoops and Nolan’s, priced at £3.50 and £3.20 respectively, with a third 99 Flake taken from The Kettle at £4.50. A Big Feast was bought from Tesco Express for £1.85.
| Ice Cream | Notes | Price | Marks Out Of 10 | Hairs Found | Rats Found |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seaview Scoops | Soft serve, 99 Flake | £3.50 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Nolan’s | Soft serve, 99 Flake | £3.20 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| The Kettle | Soft serve, 99 Flake | £4.50 | 3 | 2 | 0.5 |
| Tesco Express | Big Feast | £1.85 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
The Tesco Express Big Feast scored highest with 9 out of 10. As reliable as ever. Nolan’s scored 5, the flake arriving with a trace of grit near the base of the cone, and the ice cream tasted a little cheesy. Seaview Scoops scored 4, with a single hair found partway through and the ice cream having a strong odour of fish. The Kettle scored lowest with 3, the flake containing what appeared to be a fragment of a throat lozenge and a small strip of plaster and it tasted like window putty. There was also half a dead rat in the free gift box given away with every Kettle purchase although this was not tasted.
Overall, all three local outlets showed a marked improvement on last year’s ratings, though each remains a little behind the Tesco offering.