A TOP ice cream maker has come up with the world’s first chip flavoured ice cream.

Brighton’s top chefs and Sussex’s leading food and drink producers joined forces with Brighton’s master gelato maker Seb Cole of Boho Gelato in Pool Valley for a special weekend of experimental flavours.

Flavours range from the subtle ‘Sweet White Leilani’ using Metrodeco’s white tea with passionfruit, pear and pineapple, via Butler’s Wine Cellar’s chocolate orange brandy brownie, through to the incredibly wacky ‘Fries and Candied Fries’ created in partnership with BeFries on West Street, possibly the world’s first French fry ice cream.

Seb said: “We had a huge amount of fun visiting the partner businesses and talking to them about their flavour ideas”, said Cole. “It was a case of identifying a flavour that represents them well, whilst avoiding repetition with other businesses. And, of course, ensuring the final gelato is something that our customers would like and buy”.

Chef’s from fine dining restaurants erred towards dessert-led ice creams that take a twist on a dish that features on their own menus, including a very creative Redroaster coffee, chocolate and mushroom from Pike & Pine’s executive chef Matt Gillan in St James’s Street.

“We’ve gone for banana and ginger caramel”, said Ben Mckellar of The Ginger Pig. “Its a popular flavour combination from our Autumn menus”.

Steven Edwards of Etch – the highest scored Brighton restaurant in the 2019 Good Food Guide – presented a gelato version of his pre-dessert amuse bouche with salted caramel popcorn and chocolate.

“Our gelato is based around an ever-evolving dessert that regularly features on the menu at 64 Degrees”, said Jake Readman. “Its a combination of roast fig, toasted hazelnut and Pedro Ximenez sherry”.

Cheese fans will not be disappointed with La Cave à Fromage’s contribution of strong and creamy Baron Bigod cheese from Sussex stirred through with a homemade damson jam from chef Jimmy Gray at Jeremy’s Restaurant near Haywards Heath.

Seb and his team, led by Mariya Takeuchi, have created 24 ice creams and sorbets using ingredients and recipes inspired by partners of the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival. With many of the food festival’s Sussex wine and gin partners participating, the cabinet is certainly not all for kids.

“We’ve used our Biologist gin as the base for our sorbet”, said Inger Smith of Hove’s new Madame Jennifer distillery. “Seb also took some of our base botanicals including camomile and gorse flower, which lends the gin a real smoothness”.

Blackdown Distillery’s Sarah Thompson went with the negroni cocktail trend as inspiration for her flavour. “Its a blood orange negroni, and pretty punchy”, she said.

A hugely refreshing sorbet of Pommery Champagne ‘Royal Sky Blue’ demi-sec features alongside sorbets from Sussex’s Ridgeview Wine Estate and Plumpton Estate.

Seb added: “The challenge with using liquor as an ingredient is balancing out the sugar and alcohol”, said Cole. “Both have anti-freeze properties. If you drop the sugar content the sorbet will crystallise whereas if you add to much the product will be too soft. It’s a real balancing act”.

The three day cabinet takeover is part of the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival’s 15th ‘Autumn Harvest’ which closes this weekend.

On the afternoon of Saturday and Sunday between 2pm and 6pm, you can enjoy a glass of wine and matched cheese or cheese-based canapé for just £5 at ten participating venues across the city including Butler’s Wine Cellar, Drakes, Curry Leaf Café Kemptown Kitchen, The Ginger Dog, The Ginger Pig, La Cave à Fromage, La Choza, Market Restaurant and Bar, Metrodeco, the Old Ship Hotel and Tropical Sushi. The last ticketed event of the festival is a Negroni cocktail masterclass at Market Restaurant and Bar with local distiller Sarah Thompson of Blackdown Distillery in West Sussex. For more details visit www.brightonfoodfestival.com.