Scoop. Pile. Grab. Drip. Cooling gelatos and thirst-quenching sorbets are made fresh each day in our Gelateria. Scrumptious summertime pick-me-ups, infused by the season for an exhilarating taste of the garden – to be gulped down before oozing down your arm.

Here in Somerset, a hot summer has created good fodder for a local herd of water buffalo. Grazing in the fields, their milk is naturally sweet, with a velvety texture that’s richer and higher in calcium than cow’s milk.

Buffalo milk lends itself lusciously to our yoghurt, mozzarella and of course, gelato.

In fact, one of the very first records of an ice-cream-like treat was made with buffalo milk rather than cow’s. Although the Romans allegedly trekked up mountains to bring back fresh snow for flavouring, it was the Chinese who first appreciated the delicious thrill of freezing milk. Around 200BC, a milk and rice mixture would be packed into the snow to be frozen; by 618AD, King Tang of Shang employed nearly 100 “ice men” to specially craft an icy dish of flour, camphor and buffalo milk. 

How did this treat make it to our shores? It is said that explorer Marco Polo witnessed ice cream being made during his travels to China, and on his return, introduced the idea to Italy. Centuries later and closer to home, King Charles I of England supposedly paid his chef a handsome annual sum to keep his ice cream recipe on ice. 

Back at The Newt, we now celebrate the purity of buffalo milk just as it is in our Buffalo Milk flavour; or you can try a seasonal variation with fruits and botanicals from the gardens; sun-sweetened strawberries, baked apple, fresh mint, garden thyme. Just the ticket in this balmy weather. 


A World of Ice

How to cool off around the world…

Japan – Mochi

A melt-in-the-mouth morsel of ice cream wrapped in a thin layer of sweet rice paper dough. 

Turkey – Dondurma 

With a stretchy consistency, dondurma is more chewy than creamy. Vendors entertain passers-by while making it, stretching and holding on the end of a long serving stick.

Malaysia – Ais Kacang

Stacks of shaved ice are topped with dazzling concoctions of fresh fruit, palm nuts, aloe vera and colourful syrups.

USA – Frozen Custard

First made as a carnival treat on Coney Island NY, frozen custard looks like ice cream but is denser and made of cream and egg yolks.

India – Kulfi

Cooling kulfi is made from sweetened condensed milk flavoured with fruits, nuts and spices. Local favourites include mango, saffron, pistachio.

Scoop our Buffalo Gelato from our Gelateria in tubs and cones, or from our Farm Shop in larger 450ml tubs.