Big Licks @ 384 Victoria Road

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

I'm a big fan of ice-cream, everything from the extravagantly expensive miniature Haagen-Dazs for sale at the cinema, the classic tubs of vanilla from a Glasgow cafe, to a double nugget drowned in raspberry sauce from an ice-cream van. I was therefore quite excited by the idea of an ice-cream parlour opening up in the Southside and had been looking for an excuse to wander down and take a look.

Inside the shop we got chatting with the owner, a very happy young man who smiled and agreed that the midst of the coldest winter for 20+ years was an odd time to open an Ice-cream shop. We were given a quick tour and shown the 26 different flavours on display, though he was quick to point out that he has dozens and dozens of other flavours in the freezers out the back but only has room to display 26 at a time. The flavours contain the usual suspects, Chocolate Mint, Raspberry Ripple etc but there are also loads of more unusual and interesting flavours like Curly-Wurly, Kinder Surprise and Ferrero Rocher.

Ordering in the shop takes a long while, as trying to reach a decision is pretty much impossible. First you have to decide if you want a cone or a tub. If you choose a tub you have to choose from 5 different sizes. If you want a cone, you again have to decide on the size and then on the type - waffle/ chocolate waffle/ choco-sprinkles waffle. You then have to choose the flavours you want (free samples are available to assist decision making) then you have to choose from a multitude of sauces and then about a dozen different toppings – then choose the colour of your spoon. We settled on - a2 scoop tub with Ferrero Rocher, Cookie Dough + Honecomb pieces/ 1 scoop tub with Curly Wurly/ 2 scoop cone with Super Cookie and Chocolate Chip Orange. The total was £6.40 which we thought was pretty decent, considering that the Chocolate Chip Orange had almost been finished so he gave us a normal cones worth plus the last couple of scoops for free.

One thing that I think we’ll definitely have to try one day is the Big Dipper – a massive cone that holds up to 7 scoops of ice-cream. Its £8 but imagine the looks of jealousy on kids faces as you walk up the road eating a cone that requires two hands!!!

I'll admit that when I first saw it I had been slightly confused by Big Lick's branding, with its jet blacks, strong pinks and shocking reds it had more of the look of a trendy chain bar than the kind of place that the words "ice-cream parlour" conjured in my head. I was a bit worried that it would turn out to be a disappointment. But after having been to the shop and chatted to the owner and tasted the wares I think that once it makes a name for itself then the branding will work well to distinguish it from the normal Glasgow Cafe’s. We can also definitely say that it is not a disappointment and highly recommend it as a good way to finish off a trip to the farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings.

Big Licks
384 Victoria Road