Best Ice Cream in South Shields

Ice cream is part of the furniture in South Shields. Italian families brought their parlours to Ocean Road in the early twentieth century, and the names they founded are still scooping on the seafront today. On a warm day the walk from the town centre down to Sandhaven is punctuated by cones, and even in winter the queue at the walkway rarely disappears entirely. Here is where to go.

Minchella & Co

If you only have time for one cone, make it Minchella & Co. The family has been making ice cream in its own South Shields factory since 1942, and in 2018 it was voted the best ice cream in the UK at the ICA National Ice Cream Championship. Pistachio is the flavour regulars rave about, and there are vegan cones, sundaes and floats as well as the classics.

There are two places to find it. The busiest is the parlour on the Elevated Walkway by the Amphitheatre on Sea Road, which looks straight out over Sandhaven and opens later at weekends. The original shop at 9-11 Ocean Road, with the factory behind it, is one of the oldest businesses in the town centre and keeps shorter, daytime hours. Both serve the house coffee blend too, which is the more sensible order on a blustery November morning.

Best for: Award-winning ice cream with a sea view, the essential South Shields cone.

Toney Minchella

Another branch of the same ice cream family, Toney Minchella has been making ice cream since 1935 and runs a string of kiosks and cafes along the coast. In South Shields you will find it in South Marine Park on Beach Road, on the South Promenade car park on Sea Road, and at Haven Point on River Drive, where the grill bar adds hot food to the ice cream counter. There is also a busy outpost at Whitburn Bents just down the coast.

The style here is soft and smooth rather than hard scoop, with flavours such as mint choc chip, pistachio, limoncello and Turkish delight on the board. The park kiosk is perfectly placed for families: grab a cone, then head for the play park or a lap of the lake. Our South Marine Park guide covers what else is there.

Best for: Best for a cone in the park or after a swim at Haven Point.

Scoop & Bean

Tucked in among the seafront attractions on Sea Road, near Ocean Beach Pleasure Park, Scoop & Bean is an independent ice cream parlour and coffee shop with more than 20 flavours on the counter alongside cakes and savouries. It has indoor and outdoor seating, so it works whether the sun is out or the wind is up, and dogs are welcome.

It is a handy stop if you are spending the afternoon at the fairground or on the beach, and it is a little calmer than the walkway on a sunny Sunday. Hours tend to stretch later in the summer, so check their social media before making a special trip out of season.

Best for: Best for a sit-down scoop and a coffee by the fairground.

Cream Curls

For something completely different, Cream Curls at 116 Ocean Road started in South Shields in 2018 and specialises in rolled ice cream, made to order on a freezing plate rather than scooped from a cabinet. The menu also runs to waffles, crepes, cookie dough and milkshakes, and the kitchen now shares the premises with a smash burger operation.

It is mostly a takeaway and delivery business these days and reviews are more mixed than the seafront names, with waiting times the usual complaint. It is the pick if you want a loaded dessert rather than a classic cone.

Best for: Best for rolled ice cream and over-the-top desserts on Ocean Road.

Tips for an ice cream day out

• Combine it with the beach. The walkway parlour and Scoop & Bean are both a couple of minutes from the sand. Our Sandhaven Beach guide has the rest of the day covered.
• Expect queues on hot weekends. The walkway is the busiest spot on the seafront on a sunny bank holiday, so the park and promenade kiosks can be quicker.
• Check hours out of season. The seafront kiosks keep shorter hours in winter, while the Ocean Road shop stays a dependable daytime option all year.
• Vegan options exist. Minchella & Co offers vegan cones and sundaes, so nobody has to miss out.

Quick comparison

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