Food Review: Jack's Gelato - Cambridge

Sometimes I get sad that my brother, Adam, doesn't live at home anymore. But then I remember that if he lives somewhere different, it gives me a whole new range of independent restaurants and cafes to explore, and then it doesn't seem so bad after all. He's currently living in Cambridge which is only a 45 minute drive away, so we get to visit fairly often. And every time, he shows us a new place to eat he's discovered.

Strawberries and cream (left), dark chocolate and
sea salt (right), passion fruit and basil (front)

The last two visits, we've stopped for an afternoon treat at Jack's Gelato, which is a small gelato and sorbetti business with two shops in Cambridge. The menu changes everyday, and the flavours on offer are no short of incredible. There are classic flavours with a twist such as malted vanilla and chocolate truffle cake, and more out there flavours too like pine nut, candied orange and olive oil, and toasted white chocolate. 

Passion fruit and basil

If you're more of a sorbet fan than gelato then you won't be dissapointed. Past flavours include poached pear, chocolate chip, and watermelon, to name a few. The first time I visited I went for the passion fruit and basil sorbetti, on a bit of a whim. If there's a vegan option available and it looks good I'll try and pick it, but I have to admit I was hesitant. I love basil, but normally on a margherita pizza- not in ice-cream. However, it was delicious! At first, you're hit with the sweet, freshness of the passion fruit, and then the flavour rounds out to a distinct basil flavour. The basil didn't overpower the passio nfruit like I thought it might, and the flavours worked beautifully together.

Dark chocolate and sea salt (left), honeycomb (back),
mint straciatella (right), dulce de leche (front)

When we visited again for my brother's birthday, I couldn't say no to another scoop. This time, I went for dark chocolate and sea salt, which was also vegan. Chocolate ice cream is by far superior to any other flavour in my eyes, and after Adam chose it last time, I knew I had to try it for myself. The sorbetti was gorgeously rich, and there was no hint it didn't have dairy in like some vegan ice creams can. The saltiness ran throughout rather than there being flakes of sea salt, which I much prefer. However, it only strengthened the chocolate flavour rather than tasting salty, making it even better in my eyes. I would have liked some small dark chocolate chunks or flakes for a bit more texture, but the waffle cone added some crunch once I got got to it so it didn't matter too much.

I try and go to new places if I'm visiting somewhere new, but Jack's Gelato is so tasty I know it's going to be hard to resist visiting every time I'm in Cambridge. At only £2.50 for a single scoop (which matches other places I've been to- and they don't even come close to Jack's Gelato), I think it might have to become tradition after all.