Anyone found REAL soft-serve ice cream or frozen yogurt in London???

Princesslemons: thanks for the suggestion, which Toby's Carvery? looks like there are a few in London...

It's a chain, so any of them should have the same food. Where in London are you located?

There's amazing ice cream all over london but it tends to be more French Style or Gelato rather than soft serve, which is alright with me as I don't like soft serve

Traditional ice-cream is normally made from one of two methods, French style Custard (i.e with eggs) and Philadelphia style (made with cream).

You get a richer, creamier ice cream with French Style but you get more intense flavours with Philadelphia style.

Chin Chin labs in Camden does really amazing smooth ice cream made with liquid nitrogen and is worth a trip out there, also Gelato Mio does delicious gelato.
http://www.zazagelato.eu/ also has amazing gelato, there's one in canary Wharf and one in Westfield
 

I only lived in St Louis for a little over a year, but I would love some St. Louis style custard.  Mainly from Fritz's.

I would say though that custard has egg and that normal soft serve does not.  According to the FDA if it has egg (well more than a certain %) then it is custard, or French style, which explains the "Philadelphia style" label you sometimes see.

I think Rita's has spread the whole custard name across NJ and PA.  I can't find ingredients, but the allergen information lists only milk and eggs no wheat or soy.  

My dh and I were at a country fair last summer and I wanted soft serve so bad and there was a Mr. Whippy.  Even though he said it looked odd I bought one anyway.  I tried to eat it, but it was basically extruded, vaguely flavoured Crisco.  SO GROSS.  Even my husband couldn't eat it.  There is a decent near where I live though.  

Ice cream in the US is legally defined as a product that has at least 10% milkfat and 10% milk solids and has to have a minimum weight per gallon and man it is complicated.  http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=135.110

Ice cream in the UK must have at least 5% millkfat and 2.5% milk protein. Food
Safety Act and the Trade Descriptions Act

Ice cream in the rest of the EU has only the requirement that 5% milkfat.

In the UK and the EU this is why you see "non-dairy" ice cream.  

I LOVE ice cream.  Really.  

x-posted with Cheesebiscuit :-)

That soft serve is what DW refers to as custard (not to be confused with lovely custard that you put on apple crumble!) in south NJ, and I went to a "custard stand" in NJ and that's what it was.

I think calling it that must be a regional (NJ?) thing, because I would call it soft-serve.  All the same, I understood what you were on about when you first posted it & figured that the 'custard' bit must be something US-regional.  

I have gotten nice soft-serve ice cream at ice cream stands here before - just steer clearing of Mr Whippy & others like that.  Although sometimes you don't know what you're going to get until you've already bought it.

Even in the US, over the time I grew up & lived there, the quality of soft-serve at various places changed over time, I think.  Like I can't stand McDonalds ice cream (their milkshakes are the worst!  ), and even DQ seemed to be going that way.  I don't know what it is really.  I just remember that when I was a kid, the soft-serve ice cream you got seemed to taste more like real ice cream.  And more places than not, nowadays, seem to serve something that tastes more artificial.  

That's why I like to make my own ice cream - I know what's going in it.  Sugar, milk, cream, egg, flavouring like fresh strawberries or real chocolate/cocoa or vanilla.  Simple and delicious!  And it's soft-serve when just freshly made. 

What I could go for is a proper American milkshake. Thick and ice creamy served in a metal container. I tried one at gourmet Burger and it just didn't do it for me. Oh that and a dairy queen hot fudge sundae. I am so disappointed McDonald's don't have them.

In that case, Pengi, get yourself to the OK Diner, A1 Northbound, Carlton-on-Trent, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG23 6JF!!!

http://www.okdiners.com/

Several other locations throughout the Midlands & also one up north in Hartlepool.  Locations along the A-roads.  Real American-style milkshakes served in a tall glass, along with a metal sidecar!    (the atmosphere in the OK Diners is Americana, with American flags & everything - burgers, hot dogs, wings, pancakes, etc)

I think cheesebiscuit or someone else also posted (on other threads) about other similar places at various spots in the UK.

Custard and soft serve are different in PA.  The custard is thicker and has eggs in it.  Regualr soft serve is just less dense I guess. 

But I blame Rita's becasue they serve custard (it is actualy custard) but then I think everyone thinks that soft serve is custard.

Does that even make sense?  I think I need a cone and a lie down.

Custard and soft serve are different in PA.  The custard is thicker and has eggs in it.  Regualr soft serve is just less dense I guess. 

But I blame Rita's becasue they serve custard (it is actualy custard) but then I think everyone thinks that soft serve is custard.

Does that even make sense?  I think I need a cone and a lie down.

Makes sense!  A distinction that is important for me since I don't eat anything with eggs.  Down the shore (NJ) you can get both.  I remember as a kid getting Kohrs Brothers Custard which was famous and awesome.  I've got to stick to regular soft serve now.  Mr. Whippy will do as an OK but not great substitute.

Have you tried the soft serve at IKEA?

Not soft serve but the best ice cream I've had in London was from Marine Ices:

http://www.marineices.co.uk/index.html

Yes!

In that case, Pengi, get yourself to the OK Diner, A1 Northbound, Carlton-on-Trent, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG23 6JF!!!

http://www.okdiners.com/

Several other locations throughout the Midlands & also one up north in Hartlepool.  Locations along the A-roads.  Real American-style milkshakes served in a tall glass, along with a metal sidecar!    (the atmosphere in the OK Diners is Americana, with American flags & everything - burgers, hot dogs, wings, pancakes, etc)

I think cheesebiscuit or someone else also posted (on other threads) about other similar places at various spots in the UK.

If in London, check out Ed's Diner.  The food isn't worth the trip (it's not a diner if it doesn't serve breakfast all day!), but the milk shakes are the best I've had in years.  Tall glass, metal canister, extra thick shakes with globs of ice cream that occasionally plop into your glass.  Reminded me of trips to Friendly's with my grandmother as a child... Mmmm.

  Reminded me of trips to Friendly's with my grandmother as a child... Mmmm.

Fribbles!!

Fribbles!!

Orange Fribbles taste just like Dreamcicles.  I sort of miss Friendly's.