By Niamh Newman

Although not usually a huge ice cream fan, the oxymoronic concept of a festive ice cream intrigues me. So, whilst doing my weekly shop in Lidl, I knew exactly what I had to do when I spotted their festive Mince Pie and Gingerbread flavours as part of their Deluxe Christmas range. Priced at a hefty ┬ú1.99 per tub, cheaper than the beloved Ben and JerryÔÇÖs but more expensive than your typical ice-cream treat, I was hoping that Lidl would not disappoint. 

Mince Pie Ice Cream 

Description on tub: Mixed Spice flavoured ice cream with mincemeat sauce and mincemeat. 

This flavour was an absolute treat ÔÇô it certainly got me in a festive mood! The mixed spice ice cream was very flavoursome, with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon that created that warm winter feeling. There was also a good consistency of mincemeat to ice cream, which I enjoyed as it meant that the ice cream tasted like a mince pie while still being creamy and decadent. My only critique for this flavour is that I would personally have enjoyed a slightly larger distribution of mincemeat, as at times it felt like I would go a few spoonfuls without finding any. Overall, however, I found this ice cream to be delicious; a gourmet festive experience. 

Rating: 9/10 

Gingerbread Ice Cream 

Description on tub: Gingerbread flavoured ice cream with gingerbread flavoured sauce and ginger cookie pieces. 

As a huge fan of gingerbread, I was seriously excited to try this one. However, from the outset I was left somewhat underwhelmed: the ÔÇÿgingerbreadÔÇÖ flavoured ice cream was distinctly lacking the ginger flavour for me, tasting more like a caramel or plain vanilla. The sauce, on the other hand, did not disappoint as it was flavoursome and added the much-needed ginger kick to the ice cream itself. The real star of the show was the ginger cookie pieces which added a unique and interesting texture as well as the delicious gingerbread flavour to the ice cream. Despite its redeeming qualities, I did not overlook the disappointment of the ice cream itself when rating this flavour overall. 

Rating: 6/10