Dinky is 3 years old and had never had a ice cream at the beach until yesterday. As a vegan getting a cone with dairy free ice cream in was nigh on impossible. If she wanted sorbet she’d have been accommodated in many local parlours, but it isn’t quite the same. Minchella & Co, a South Shields-based company with a chain of outlets on the coast, have now launched at 9-11 Ocean Road & The Walkway, Sea Road.
Of course, we went along in the sunshine to try this out. Little Dinky was so excited to try her first vegan ’99’, a cone topped with dairy free ice cream and what is billed as a vegan flake. I hate to break it to those who were excited by the mention of a flake, wondering if they’d managed to find a substitute. Unfortunately it isn’t like the Cadbury classic and is a solid piece of milk-style chocolate. It was also quite difficult to eat for little Dinky so I removed it from the ice cream and she ate it separately. She enjoyed the whole experience. Yes, there’s vegan Cornettos and Swedish Glace cones but there’s something special about having an ice cream at the beach in the sunshine like this.
I decided to try the Luxury Peaches and Cream Sundae from the menu. It’s an absolute beast and probably best shared but Dinky wasn’t keen. The tinned peaches reminded me of desserts at my Nanna’s house and the dairy free ice cream Minchella makes is excellent quality. At £6.95 it is the most expensive on the menu but is well worth it as a treat. Sitting outside in the sun, enjoying the sea view, made it worth every penny.
There are other vegan dessert options available from the new Dairy Free Menu and you can mix and match. I’m hoping to see some savoury options joining the menu soon and, should you just fancy a coffee, Minchella have plant milk available. Well worth a visit, even if the weather isn’t as great as we enjoyed.
Thanks for reading,
Pip x
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