This is The Hedgehog. Take a moment to admire its beauty (and to brace yourself for the deliciousness I am about to describe)...
Take an ice-cream cone, absolutely pack it with with Cornish ice-cream, smother it in an incredibly thick layer of golden Cornish clotted cream, and then roll it in honey-roasted hazelnuts until it bristles with gorgeousness. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is The Hedgehog!
...the blackcurrant ripple looked delicious, really vibrant and fresh...chocolate smiley faces with hundreds and thousands for hair...classic 99's...The Foxy, rolled in flapjack crumbs instead of hazelnuts (for a limited time only according to their sign)...
I think it may have been love at first sight. It was huge and looked utterly amazing. I haven't felt so excited about an ice-cream cone since I was about ten!
Dave and I loved our Hedgehogs and exclaimed with delight over the hint of salt in the honey-roasted hazelnuts and the incredibly thick layer of clotted cream, Lucas (6) wasn't quite so sure about his Foxy. After much consideration, he says that "clotted cream is for scones, not ice-cream." He ended up passing it forward in the car so that we could eat the clotted cream for him! In hindsight, I should have bought him a smiley face.
There are various places in Cornwall which sell similar ice-creams, but the original comes from a tiny little beach cafe tucked away from the road at the base of a very craggy coastline. This is the sort of place that you need to be told about by a friendly local, or, as I did, unearth some reviews on an obscure holiday website.
After a day of sightseeing, by the time we reached Chapel Porth the small car park--run by the National Trust, free parking for members--was full, so Dave double-parked while I queued and watched eagerly for my first glimpse of The Hedgehog. Several ice-creams were handed out of the window before I saw it in all its glory...
...the blackcurrant ripple looked delicious, really vibrant and fresh...chocolate smiley faces with hundreds and thousands for hair...classic 99's...The Foxy, rolled in flapjack crumbs instead of hazelnuts (for a limited time only according to their sign)...I think it may have been love at first sight. It was huge and looked utterly amazing. I haven't felt so excited about an ice-cream cone since I was about ten!
Dave and I loved our Hedgehogs and exclaimed with delight over the hint of salt in the honey-roasted hazelnuts and the incredibly thick layer of clotted cream, Lucas (6) wasn't quite so sure about his Foxy. After much consideration, he says that "clotted cream is for scones, not ice-cream." He ended up passing it forward in the car so that we could eat the clotted cream for him! In hindsight, I should have bought him a smiley face.
{image source: Little Orchard Village}
The cafe isn't all about ice-cream, though. They offer a wide range of hot and cold drinks as well as light meals. I've seen people raving about absolutely everything on their menu and if we'd been able to park, I'd have ordered a prawn croque. (Prawns cooked in clotted cream, over garlic baguette? Amazing!)
Definitely a place to come back to! If you'd like to make a full day of it and enjoy the beach (which looked lovely from the brief glimpse I got), then I'd advise getting there early to nab your space in the car park! And be prepared to queue for your Hedgehog. I promise that it will be worth the wait!
Have you tried a Hedgehog? Did you love it?
Chapel Porth Beach Cafe
Chapel Porth beach
Near St Agnes
Cornwall
TR5 0NS
Tel.: 01872552487
Oh WOW! I'm drooling here! What a great find that cafe is,must remember to look it up when we're next in Cornwall.
ReplyDeleteI was in Widdecombe-in-the-moor when I had my first experience of an ice cream cone topped with clotted cream.Divine!
Thanks for popping in.
Bellaboo X
Thanks for dropping in!
ReplyDeleteClotted cream on ice-cream is, in my opinion, one of the simplest and most decadent pleasures that you can have! I think I'll keep it to a once-a-year pleasure, though, to keep it special (and to keep me fitting into my clothes)!