Q&A with Arthur LaCour of the Chiltern Ice Cream Company

I BROUGHT ICE-CREAM MAKING TO THE CHILTERNS VIA THE STATES. I’m actually from New Orleans although I’ve lived here now for years. My wife grew up in the area and we met aboard a flight to London. I fell in love with her -and the Chilterns - and the rest is history.

I WENT BACK TO UNIVERSITY TO TEACH MYSELF THE TRADE. Ice cream making is highly technical. You might not think it, but the maths calculations alone behind creating a new flavour can run to two pages of A4. After I finished the course I worked for five years in restaurants, some Michelin-starred. I wanted to learn about flavours and food pairings from the very best and really earn my stripes.

OUR MILK AND CREAM COMES FROM A SINGLE GUERNSEY HERD AT LACEY FARM JUST UP THE ROAD. The Lacey family has been farming for generations and their cows produce exceptionally creamy, rich milk, perfect for full-flavoured ice cream. They also grow their own feed for on the land, ensuring genuine locality. We’re a small team, making our own ingredients on-site to ensure we completely understand origins and can strive for clean labels.  We don't use colours or flavourings - all the goodness you taste in our ice cream comes from our own real fresh ingredients, nothing artificial. 

THE CHILTERNS ARE AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO. We named our company after the area we love. You can find our ice creams and gelatos at delis, ice cream parlours and restaurants across the region. We’re passionate about supporting our local retailers and restaurants - they all do such an amazing job.

WE MAKE OVER 30 ARTISANAL FLAVOURS AND WE’RE ALWAYS COMING UP WITH MORE. That might be flat white gelato for coffee shops like the W (Kim also uses our Madagascan Vanilla Gelato in her affogato) or Pimms sorbet in summer. We’ve made everything from small-batch orange and pink peppercorn to sea salted caramel but right now my Double Honeycomb is a personal favourite. We’re proud to be genuinely artisan and individual - some of our flavour collaborations have been so bespoke, we’ve literally only made up a single 5-litre batch.