Waitrose has been crowned king of supermarket chocolate ice cream following a comprehensive taste test that put its No 1 Santo Domingo offering at the top of the leaderboard. The high-end retailer's ice cream impressed judges with its super-rich and creamy texture, thanks in part to its use of 35% West Country whipping cream.
The Waitrose ice cream was praised for its dark, deeply chocolatey flavour with complex notes, although it did score slightly lower due to its sweeter taste. However, the product's commitment to quality and provenance, including Rainforest Alliance-certified Dominican Republic chocolate and free-range eggs, won over the judges. Its lack of stabilisers also scored points, reflecting a broader industry trend towards cleaner labels and more transparent sourcing.
For those on a tighter budget, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Belgian chocolate ice cream emerged as the 'best bargain'. This option impressed with its rich, dense, and very creamy consistency, thanks to British cow's milk and 27% double cream. Its Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa delivered a medium-dark chocolate custard with a sugary, toffee flavour, and it contained no stabilisers or emulsifiers beyond soya lecithin in the chocolate itself.
Brickell's all-natural craft ice cream also received high praise, with its fudgy, rich, and satiating profile made using British milk and high-cocoa Ecuadorian chocolate. Other top-rated brands included M&S 85% dark chocolate ice cream, Häagen-Dazs Belgian chocolate, Tesco Finest Belgian chocolate, and Morrisons the Best Belgian chocolate ice cream – all of which featured unique textures, intense flavours, and quality ingredients like West Country or Cornish creams.
However, not all contestants fared as well. Lidl's Deluxe Belgian chocolate ice cream was rich and intensely chocolatey but let down by its use of additives, while Carte D'Or Indulgent and Jude's Belgian chocolate ice creams received lower ratings due to their lighter textures and use of reconstituted skimmed milk or lower cream content.