Ice Cream Party Games

Ice Cream Party Games

Ice Cream Party Games

Ice cream is one of those foods that conjures up a host of memories. Dinner in a fashionable restaurant; a cheap cornet in the park; a child’s birthday party. This diversity is mirrored by the history of ice cream in England, from a rarity served only to the powerful to the penny licks of the Victorian era.

A Dish Fit for a King – The First Recorded References to Ice Cream Eating in England

Ice cream in England was initially a dish fit only for a king and the very highest echelons of society. The first recorded mention of ice cream is on the menu of a 1671 banquet held to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the restoration of the monarchy in England. One plate of ice cream and one plate of white strawberries were served to Charles II and his guests at the high table.

In 1688 an entry in the London Gazette (number 2383) records that ice cream was served at a banquet to mark the birth of the son of James II. Celebrations were short lived. The birth of a Catholic heir acted as a catalyst to the Anglican forces who forced the “abdication” of the King.