Few things are better on a warm, summer day than an ice cream. Generally sweet, smooth and cold, it can come in endless flavours, colours and varieties, from the classic vanilla soft scoop to wacky creations on sticks to the garish green and blue fantasy flavours. One of the most definitive things about summer for me is the classic ’99’ ice cream. Soft vanilla ice cream, which snakes its way out of a machine onto a wafer cone and then you get a chocolate flake stuck in the side and a drizzle of raspberry sauce if you are lucky.
Having already had a classic 99, which evidently cost me about £3.00 (?!) and a vanilla ice cream with caramel fudge pieces in a tub, it was time for something else. The Lolly. Now, it is widely disputed which lolly is best, but I think most of us can agree that one of the most popular lollies is of course the Magnum. I had not had a Magnum ice cream for several years, so when I saw that the Magnum Pleasure Store pop up was back in London, I jumped at the chance to go. A haven of chocolaty-over-indulgence, the temporary store is located at the foot of Regent Street, right across from Piccadilly Circus.
Smelling of sophistication from the second you step through the door, the store features an actual ‘dipping bar’ where visitors can experience ‘Make My Magnum‘. This process involves picking your toppings from an array of colourful bowls and selecting which chocolate you would like to coat your cold confectionery. This option is priced at just under £6 and is by far the most popular option. In its seventh year in the city, this years store is debuting a ‘Play Room’. This is an area of the store where you can go after you have made your ice cream and essentially take Instagram worthy photographs on a mixture of different background, including gold glitter and monochrome polka-dots, whilst you wait for your chocolate to harden.
Since its opening at the end of June this year, the store has seen a booming trade on a daily basis. I went to the store on a Thursday afternoon in August, and whilst it was completely worth it once inside, we did have to wait 25 minutes in a line outside the store.
If you do not wish to wait there is also a Chef’s Table experience available to book. For £15 per person you are able to dip your own ice into a chocolate covering of your fancy, learn about the craftsmanship behind the famous brand and get to sit in an exclusive VIP seating area to enjoy your art work. You also receive a welcome drink on arrival. This experience is only available Wednesday to Sunday.
There is a spinning wheel of ice cream fortune on the wall as you enter which, staff advise, is the best way to pick an ice cream if you are stuck for inspiration. All of the flavours on the wheel are in honour of the fashion and art worlds. Designs include Blue Denim Baby; vanilla ice cream dipped in a blue coating and topped with golden stars, or a That’s What She Said; where the ice cream is dipped in classic milk chocolate, topped with honeycomb pieces, strawberry pearls and drizzled with white chocolate and freeze dried raspberries. Fashion icon Iris Apfel herself even has her very own Magnum. The ode to Iris features an impressive vanilla ice with an emerald coat, topped with sugar coated violets, raspberry and lime flavour popping candy pieces and finished with her signature chocolate glasses. It really is a sight to behold.
Now, I know I will be biased on this one, but I really believe that the ice cream I designed is one of the best ones. So, I selected a white chocolate coating for my ice and then for my toppings I picked lemon crunch drops, raspberry fudge pieces and chocolate brownie chunks, with a drizzle of milk chocolate over the top at the end and a white chocolate ‘M’ coin to complete the masterpiece. Look at it. Tell me it looks anything but perfect.
A complete sugar overload, especially for me, as I do not eat refined sugar in my diet, it was a very sweet treat. Ideally, I would have liked to split mine with my partner but he was not with me on this occasion, so unfortunately my poor skin had to suffer for the week following the snack.
If you would like to create your own, or even try mine, you can head to the central London store until the 22nd September this year. For more information on this event you can visit the Magnum website. Magnum Pleasure Store is open Sunday to Wednesday 11am until 8pm and Thursday through Saturday 11am until 11pm.
Ellies London 
What about plain vanilla ice cream set afloat on some chilled american cream soda? Remember? With a long sundae spoon and curly straw.
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YESSS! I remember these – I bought some ACS a little while ago and some ice cream but the ice cream disappeared so fast I didn’t get a chance to make one so the ACS is still in the back of the fridge 🙄
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Not a big ice cream fan but do like a magnum now and then…..I also like that you got a cardboard carton as most times mine melts and I have it down my top.
This might save a laundry bill….you do such fun things I want to live nearer and do stuff too
Miss you🍦🍦🍦🍦🍹🍹🍹🍽🍽🍽🎂🍪🍰🥐
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My Mr doesn’t like ice cream that much but I am working on exposing him to it more and more – but I think it’s too cold for him! The cardboard carton was super useful to hold (for pictures) whilst it set. I don’t think I would pay another £6 to do it again or wait in the queue but deffo worth it once. I miss you too – so much 😦 ♥♥♥♥
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Not a big fan of ice creams but that does look nice. 😍🤭
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It was amazing! 😏 I definitely needed to share it with you though as it was far too sweet for me to have all in one go! The amount of ice cream from the shop in Wales or Eastbourne was about enough for me!
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Cool! It’s been a long time since I made my last Magnum ice cream 🍦
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I can’t recommend it enough – so yum! ?Thank you for reading x
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That looks like so much fun!! I’ve been obsessed with magnums this Summer although I don’t know what I’d put on my own one if I had the choice, they are all too good!!
londonsnewgirl.blog
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The toppings are almost too much to pick from they have everything from typical toppings to like blue flower petals! It’s crazy…
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I love this post! I do love an ice cream and Magnums are one of my favourites. I don’t really eat them that often but they are nice. Your ice cream looks amazing though! Shame about the wait time, but if I do have some spare time I might head over and explore 🙂 xx
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I don’t eat them that often either but I really was fancying a white chocolate one and then I saw this – damnnnn was it worth the wait! I think they might be less of a wait when the kids go back to school if you have some time to go perhaps just after opening 🙂 Do let me know if you go over there – and which combo you go for! ♥ x
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Yeah and white chocolate I think is soo nice! Yeah definitely that is true, I think I will look into it haha 😊 xxx
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😍 Perfect. Thank you for reading x 😁
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Oh this sounds delicious!! I really like what you made girl! I love magnum, I didn’t know they had such a thing where you could actually make your own. I don’t know, I probably would’ve overloaded mine with everything on it haha. Thanks for sharing! x
Geraldine | https://geraldinetalks.com
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Thank you so much for reading 😀 They only let you pick 3 toppings, I think to stop exactly that from happening! It was so hard so me to pick just three, but I wanted something different and nothing that you could pick up in the supermarket (as they had all the classics too) x
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I tried that in Warsaw few years ago. It was so yummy and the fact that you can choose all the toppings is just wonderful.
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It is like we are able to make our very own edible art work! Love it so much 😂. I’d love to do it again with my partner sometime if one of these popped up in another city! Thank you so much for reading x
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What a delicious trip! Magnum ice cream is really delish and I became obsessed with it while living overseas. I also adore the ice cream they sell on the street in NYC, which when put together as advertised ends up in a swirl taller than your head adn is really too much to finish before it melts. It’s such a novelty, including the sticker shock -$8 per cone- which is only OK if you’re just there as a tourist. Hope to get to visit the Magnum shop, though–thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
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It is some of the best isn’t it? I swear I’m not even a fan of white chocolate unless it is on a magnum! Oh my days, that cone in NYC sounds amazing, I would need to try that for sure, even if I would look like the goofiest tourist ever 🍧🍨 I think I would need to split it with my partner, too much sugar for me!! 🍦 Thank you so much for reading x
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Lol, if there’s anyplace it’s OK to be goofy, it’s in NYC!!
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Magnums are amazing! I’ve seen a few people post theirs and I’m so jealous! The one you made looks really pretty, it sounds like a great experience x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
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So incredible 😍 but half of one would have been enough for me. I’m glad mine turned out pretty. Some people were experimenting with the toppings and getting piles that didn’t look too great 🤭😂 Thank you for reading x
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Holy heck this sounds AMAZING, why didn’t I know about this? I gotta say, your choices are very similar to what i would have chosen myself. You have great taste! x
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Thank you so much – I am glad you like the sound of what I made! I really don’t want the store to close! You can get white chocolate and raspberry Hagen Daas lollies in stores now though (and they are amazing) so definitely pick some up on your next shop! x
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Omg yours looks incredible 😋 What a cool place, it would take me ages to decide exactly what I wanted! I love the Instagram worthy backgrounds too, I’d definitely be making use of those! I actually tried a vegan Magnum on holiday and it was just as tasty 😋 x
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Thank you so much – it was so good (even though it was a bit too sweet after eating it all). I think that is why they make people wait in the long queues so they can decide what they want from the menu but once you get inside and all the smells hit you it all goes out the window! I’d love to try the vegan magnum – i like a few vegan alternatives these days as I am trying to consume less dairy 😀
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Ill have to do this one day!
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100%! I don’t want this one to close – I think it should be a permanent thing in London ♥
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Omg I had no idea this place existed until now, this sounds like something I would LOVE. Haha, I love white chocolate magnums and your creation sounds like a dream, I couldn’t handle having so many options to choose from. Haha, thanks for sharing! x
Evie x | http://www.eviejayne.co.uk
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There were seriously so many options! I don’t want this store to close next month but if there is one in another city on my travels I’ll be sure to hit it up! Thank you so much for reading Evie ♥ x
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I absolutely love ice cream! I am so jealous. I wish they had something like that in the United States. This is definitely something I want to do when I go back to London!
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Me too, although this was a bit too sweet! But I still would have it again! I’d love to go do this again. I don’t want the store to close next month! X
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This looks absolutely gorgeous! I’d love to try this out! Xx
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I can’t recommend it enough, I would love to go back. I don’t want the place to close next month. Thank you for reading ♥️
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This looks like so much fun! Magnum do the best vegan ice creams I’ve tasted so far so I’d love to give this a try… if they have dairy free options. I love how you decorated yours.
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I think they also had vegan options available because when you go to pick your ice cream they asked which type you wanted and they had only vanilla in flavor but they have different types like dairy free 🙂 I want to do it again 😂
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