Banana and salted caramel shakes, Canadian maple waffles and chocolate and hazelnut frappes - the pre-holiday diet went straight out of the window the minute we arrived at Cowbee, the new ice cream parlour and cafe overlooking College Green.
For somebody trying to lose weight before a few days in the Balearic sunshine, this week was supposed to be all about health and low-calorie options but one look at the menu at Cowbee soon put a stop to all that nonsense.
On the corner of Park Street and Unity Street in the former HSBC building, this is the first launch from Gloucestershire couple Nicola and Adam Sztuka.
Apparently the idea stems from the fact Nicola has always made ice cream at home for their three children and now she makes it on site at Cowbee using Chew Valley milk and honey from the couple’s own bees.
I counted 24 different ice creams on display on the morning I visited, all made in small batches and served in cones or tubs to eat in or takeaway.
But Cowbee is much more than yet another ice cream and desserts bar as it specialises in cooked-to-order sundaes and waffles, which are served from 11am.
From the logo (a bee with a cow’s face) to the huge bell-shaped beehive basket lampshades, the bee references come thick and fast, although whoever chose the background music was missing a trick as I didn’t once hear The Bees, The Hives or The Milk and Honey Band. They did play Hey Jude once but I think The Bee-atles is pushing it a bit.
We grabbed one of the leather banquettes beneath a yellow ‘you are my sunshine’ neon sign. The honeycomb-like marble table was decorated with a mini stainless steel milk churn filled with lavender.
Behind the counter, and despite the large cafe only having five customers at the time, there were no less than nine members of staff swarming around like bees in branded ‘all good things’ Cowbee t-shirts and golden yellow hats.
But despite the torrential rain and slate grey skies outside, this was a room filled with sunshine from the outset.
All of the ingredients used in Cowbees products are free from palm oil and there are vegan and dairy-free options on the menu.
As well as tea and coffee (and beers, cocktails, spirits and wines if you are visiting later in the day), there are shakes, frappes and smoothies, as well as iced teas and vanilla Coke floats.
Choices include strawberry cheesecake shakes, spiced chai frappes and summer berry smoothies.
A third of the waffles on offer are ‘stuffed’ waffles and it was the stuffed Dutch apple waffle (£7.50) that immediately won the vote of my daughter.
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The portion was eye-poppingly large for an adult, let alone a greedy 12-year-old.
The thick, crisp-edged waffled was hot and sugary with a smooth filling of cinnamon-flavoured apple baked inside.
It was topped with salted caramel ripple ice cream, a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce and tiny chunks of fudge so minuscule that they must have been cut overnight by hard-working dessert fairies.
I went for the wild cherry waffle (£7.50) which was equally as generous, the quartered waffle topped with cherry ripple ice cream, crunchy milk chocolate flakes, juicy macerated Italian cherries and fruity cherry sauce. For old-timers like me, it was essentially a riff on Black Forest gateau and that’s never a bad idea.
And yet, as good (and filling) as these waffles were, the most memorable thing was the plain vanilla ice cream itself. Fresh, clean-tasting and reminiscent of ice cold glasses of milk enjoyed in childhood, it had a purity and honesty you don’t get from the mass produced stuff.
A cone filled with that might just suffice next time I visit before a beach holiday.
The Verdict:
Cowbee may be pushing the made-to-order waffles side of the business but it’s the ice cream that’s the real star of the show here and this new dessert emporium is sure to create a buzz.
Ratings:
Overall: Four
Food: Four
Service: Three
Ambience: Three
Value: Four
Where:
Cowbee, 24 College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TB.
Food reviews 2020
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