Home Courses - The School of Artisan Food Artisan Dairy & Cheesemaking Introduction to Ice Cream Making

Introduction to Ice Cream Making

£215.00

Beginner , Intermediate

Duration:

1 Day

Timings:

09:00 - 16:30

Course start dates:

19 Apr 2027
20 Apr 2027
10 May 2027
11 May 2027

Hourly Schedule

Time

9:00
Arrival & welcome
Tea, coffee and warm pastries from the kitchen.

9:30
Course Start

13:00
Lunch
Seasonal lunch prepared by our catering team.

17.00
Course End

There’s nothing quite like homemade ice cream.

Whether it’s a classic vanilla, a refreshing sorbet or an unexpected seasonal flavour combination, making your own frozen desserts allows you to explore creativity, flavour and technique while producing something truly delicious.

On this hands-on one-day course, you’ll discover the art and science of ice cream making with renowned ice cream producer Kitty Travers, founder of London’s La Grotta Ices. Known for her inventive approach to flavour, commitment to natural ingredients and exceptional technical expertise, Kitty will guide you through a range of methods for creating beautifully textured ice creams, sorbets and granitas.

Throughout the day, you’ll explore how different ingredients and techniques influence flavour, texture and consistency. You’ll compare a variety of ice cream styles, learn both machine and hand-made methods, and discover how seasonal ingredients can be transformed into unique frozen desserts.

What You’ll Learn

Through a combination of demonstrations, tastings and practical activities, you will:

Understand the principles behind successful ice cream making
Learn how ingredients influence flavour and texture
Compare different styles of ice cream, gelato and parfait
Explore both machine-made and hand-crafted techniques
Discover how to incorporate seasonal ingredients into frozen desserts
Gain confidence creating ice creams, sorbets and granitas at home
Develop an understanding of balancing flavour, richness and texture

Ice Cream Styles Covered

During the course, you’ll explore a variety of approaches to ice cream making, including:

Cornstarch ice cream
Almond ice cream
Vanilla ice cream
Rich vanilla ice cream
Vanilla parfait
Fior di latte gelato
Eggless creamy vanilla ice cream
Russian vanilla ice cream
Instant ice cream

Seasonal Flavours and Frozen Desserts

Using seasonal ingredients, you’ll create and taste a selection of imaginative frozen desserts. Examples may include:

Pear and Parmesan ice cream
Blackberry and rose geranium granita
Raspberry and fig leaf sorbet
Lemon and blackcurrant leaf granita
Leafy blackcurrant sorbet
Strawberry granita

Grand Tasting

At the end of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to taste and compare a wide range of ice creams, sorbets and granitas, exploring how different ingredients and techniques create distinctive flavours and textures.

Who Is This Course For?

This course is ideal for home cooks, ice cream enthusiasts and anyone with a sweet tooth and a curiosity for artisan food. Whether you’re completely new to ice cream making or looking to expand your knowledge and techniques, you’ll leave with practical skills, creative inspiration and the confidence to experiment with your own frozen desserts at home.

No previous ice cream-making experience is required, just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn alongside fellow food lovers.

Please Note:
Whilst we make every effort to adhere to best practices regarding allergen control and cross-contamination at The School of Artisan Food, we sincerely regret that we are unable to cater for severe food allergies or coeliac disease. This is due to the continuous and varied use of our teaching spaces, common areas and food preparation areas.

If in any doubt, please contact us to discuss your individual circumstances prior to making a booking, as this will then enable us to produce a personalised Risk Assessment based on your own specific circumstances and better judge if we can safely accommodate you on site.

Your Tutors

Tutor

Kitty Travers

Kitty Travers

Kitty discovered her love for ice-cream whilst working as a waitress in France.

After tasting her way around the Continent’s ice-cream parlours Kitty went on to study at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, before returning to the UK to work at Fergus Henderson’s St.John restaurant. Kitty has since founded La Grotta Ices producing hand-made frozen delights for customers across London.

Kitty’s iced creations, with unique flavours such as fig leaf, pea pod and pumpkin mini-milk, are in high demand. She has recently been named in the Coco cookbook as one of the world’s top 100 up-and-coming food personalities.