Autumn is settling over the country. As the nights draw in, this season seems to bring out the ‘let’s learn something new’ gene. Night classes are kicking off in September, with packed programmes in schools and adult education centres. You can learn any skill, from crocheting a blanket to writing a bestseller. One thing that’s always valuable though, is the skill of cooking.   

There’s nothing quite like the first ice cream of the summer. It is the taste of lazy, sunny days and long hazy evenings. But ice cream is no longer just a humble 99 or block of raspberry ripple. Fun flavours, fresh ingredients and free-from options are all part of the growing artisanal Irish ice cream scene, which was kickstarted by the Murphy brothers back in the year 2000. Since then, an ice cream revolution has swept across the island with small-batch producers and ice cream parlours popping up all over.   Looking to cool down this summer with the hottest ice cream around? Here are our six best Irish artisanal ice cream makers dealing in delicious dairy.   Glastry Farm Ice Cream, Newtownards, Co Down Glastry Farm on the Ards Peninsula in Northern Ireland has been in the Taylor family for six generations. The ice cream is made with the milk from the pedigree Friesian herd that munches on the grass and clover just metres from the production area. Not only does this contribute to a low carbon footprint, but the production process uses 75% renewable energy and is virtually zero waste.   Will Taylor and his son launched Glastry Farm Ice Cream in 2007. The first flavour was vanilla bean but the range has since expanded. Flavours are influenced by the local landscape and seasonal ingredients like fruit, herbs and honey. There is nothing artificial in any of Glastry Farm’s products.   Most of the products are naturally gluten-free too and the selection of sorbets are all suitable for vegans as they are dairy and egg-free, but still lush and full of flavour — the Pear Sorbet won bronze in the non-dairy category at Blas na hEireann, the Irish National Food Awards.   If you want to get your hands on a tub or two of Glastry Farm Ice Cream, you’ll find them in freezers across the island in Eurospar, Donnybrook Fair and select restaurants, hotels and independent food shops.   Glastry Farm Ice Cream Has Been Good Food Ireland® Approved Since 2009 We stand over our recommendations. With exacting selection and regular review processes, we ensure a rewarding local Irish ingredient-led experience. You can count on it! View Our Glastry Farm Ice Cream Review.     Fabio’s Ice-cream, Sligo Town Fabio learned the basics of gelato making in his home city of Florence. Gelato is different to ice cream: made with a lower percentage of buttercream, it is churned slower and with less air, and served at a slightly warmer temperature. This makes gelato softer, gives it a denser, creamier mouthfeel with more pronounced flavours and aromas.   Now, using the same traditional methods, Fabio makes hand-churned gelato in his Sligo town café. Flavours change daily but the base of all his gelato is Irish milk. Other ingredients are local, seasonal, organic or wild. In spring, he loves adding Irish rhubarb. In summer, he uses wild, foraged elderflower and basil. He also sources the finest Sicilian pistachios and Tonda Gentile hazelnuts from Piedmont.   Fabio uses gelato as a canvas to tell the story of his home country and his adopted one. His marriage of Irish and Italian ingredients is a match made in heaven.   Fabio’s flavours are as fun as the man himself and include mascarpone cheese with caramelised figs and toasted walnuts and banoffee pie. “I enjoy experimenting with classic food combinations, turning savoury combinations into ice cream flavours,” he shares. “There is always something new on the way, like our Spanish Armada flavour, which is linked to Sligo’s heritage and made with almond and saffron.”   To get a taste of what Fabio is all about, he suggests you try a two-scoop cone with Bull’s Blood (dark chocolate and orange sorbet with cayenne pepper) and WhiteHag Session IPA sorbet. According to Fabio, “You will cry like a baby!” For gelato that will bring a tear to your eye, join the (inevitable) queue at Fabio’s in Sligo town.