At A2D, we believe food can be a powerful lens for understanding culture, creativity, and emerging consumer behaviour. That’s why we’re sharing five new global ice cream stories that reveal where food is heading.
As we explored in our previous article, ice cream is no longer just a summer treat: it’s a culinary playground. Around the world, chefs, makers, and dessert designers are pushing the limits of what frozen desserts can be.
Whether you’re a founder, director or team leader, our Food Innovation Travel programs offer first-hand access to the people, places, and ideas pushing boundaries. Booking with A2D means more than seeing what’s trending: it means gaining insight, inspiration, and opportunities to future-proof your brand through immersive, curated and content-rich experiences.
Global Flavours, Local Stories
Where: Los Angeles, USA
Why go: Thai-inspired scoop shops like Coco’s Kanom Thai, Kanomwaan, and Moom Maam are redefining frozen dessert through the lens of Southeast Asian flavour and texture.
Innovation Insight: These aren’t just fusion experiments, they’re cultural preservation through flavour. Coconut, pandan, sticky rice, and toddy palm seeds all feature as primary ingredients, not accessories.
In Thai Town LA, ice cream isn’t just about vanilla and sprinkles. It’s coconut scoops layered with foi thong (sweet egg threads), jackfruit, or tucked into soft white bread for an “ice cream sandwich” rooted in Thai street culture. At Kanomwaan, the flavours are more than bold — they’re architectural. Think pumpkin curry gelato, tom yum sorbet, or candle-smoked salted egg yolk ice cream.
Meanwhile, Moom Maam’s founder Darwin Wai uses his genetics background to build flavours like riceberry horchata — a nod to Thai agriculture, Mexican drinks, and Italian gelato. “Once you know how to draw,” he says, “you can draw anything.” The result is a celebration of memory and identity that tastes like nowhere else on earth — and yet feels entirely familiar.
“Newstalgia”: Classics Reimagined
Why go: British scoop shops are reinventing comfort desserts with modern twists — sticky toffee pudding gelato, treacle tart ripple, cherry bakewell frozen yoghurt.
Where: UK
Innovation Insight: These flavours tap into emotion and memory but elevate with better ingredients, subtler sweetness, and grown-up complexity.
Across the UK, there’s a movement to bring your nan’s pudding back, but with a glossy, modern twist. It’s not about unicorn swirls or viral gimmicks. Instead, makers are perfecting the delicate balance between sweet and sophisticated. Think sticky toffee pudding gelato with miso caramel, or brown bread ice cream served with rhubarb compote and burnt butter.
This newstalgia trend capitalises on the emotional power of food while dialling up the culinary craftsmanship. The appeal is double-edged: Gen Z embraces irony and retro design, while older generations feel the warm pull of memory. It’s Michelin-level indulgence disguised as a hug in a cone.
Flavour First, Fun Second
Where: London, UK - Anya Hindmarch's Ice Cream Project
Why go: Flavours like Bisto gravy, Sriracha, Twiglets and Hobnobs reframe ice cream as a tasting experience, not just a treat.
Innovation Insight: This is about theatre and surprise. The Blind Tasting Tea turns ice cream into a mind game — challenging preconceptions of what belongs in a dessert.
Each summer, Anya Hindmarch’s Chelsea boutique becomes a surrealist shrine to British pantry staples — only frozen. This year’s Ice Cream Project features handmade scoops inspired by pickled onions, custard, and even gravy. It sounds absurd. It also sells out.
The real twist? The new Blind Tasting Tea experience, where diners try 15 flavours without knowing what they’re eating. It’s part quiz, part palate training, and all culinary theatre. These aren’t stunt flavours; they’re designed to surprise and delight through precision and nostalgia. Gravy has never tasted so…refreshing.
Texture is the New Flavour
Where: Tokyo, Japan
Why go: Kakigori (Japanese shaved ice) cafés are blending ice cream with chewy mochi, sweet beans, whipped cream, and house syrups in multilayered formats.
Innovation Insight: Consumers now want mouthfeel, not just taste — combining temperatures, textures, and chew is driving engagement (and Instagram virality).
In Tokyo’s dessert cafés, the buzz isn’t about exotic flavours – it’s about sensation. Shaved ice topped with velvety matcha cream, crisp freeze-dried fruit, chewy shiratama mochi, and a drizzle of black sugar syrup creates a rollercoaster of textures. It’s a dessert you feel as much as you taste.
This layering trend is influencing global dessert design, from Korean bingsu cafés in Europe to mochi-topped sundaes in NYC. It taps into a larger consumer desire for playfulness, surprise, and multisensory satisfaction. It’s not just about taste anymore – it’s about the bite, the crunch, the stretch, the melt.
The Rise of Functional Frozen Treats
Where: Germany + Nordics
Why go: European brands are innovating with low-sugar, plant-based, probiotic-enhanced frozen desserts.
Innovation Insight: Ice cream as wellness product — packed with gut-friendly bacteria, mood-lifting adaptogens, or antioxidant-rich bases like sea buckthorn or matcha.
In Berlin or Copenhagen, ice cream is entering the health aisle. Startups and major dairy brands alike are launching frozen yoghurts and sorbets laced with collagen, turmeric, magnesium, or B12 — all underpinned by sustainability and clean labels.
Rather than sacrificing indulgence, these brands lean into sophistication: oat-milk rose ice cream with ashwagandha; probiotic mango lassi sorbet with chia; or sea buckthorn and lemon balm gelato for your immune system. It’s the wellness revolution, frozen – and suddenly, dessert is the most functional part of your day.
Why It Matters
From smoky egg yolk gelato in LA to gravy sorbet in London, the boundaries of ice cream are dissolving. In 2025, frozen treats are no longer bound by sweetness, season, or tradition. Instead, they’re canvases for cultural stories, experimental textures, and unexpected joy.
Through our Food Innovation Travel programs, you can gain exclusive access to pioneering chefs, immersive tastings, and behind-the-scenes stories that aren’t available to everyday tourists. Whether you’re scouting for your next concept, researching hospitality trends, or simply hungry for something extraordinary, let us craft your custom journey and turn your curiosity into competitive advantage.
Ready to taste the future?
Whether you’re launching a new concept, rethinking your product strategy, or just looking for fresh inspiration, A2D can take you there. Get in touch and start planning your own Food Innovation Travel experience.
Why Food Innovation Travel Works
If you’re ready to move beyond traditional consulting and endless market reports, it’s time to go direct to the source. A2D’s Food Innovation Travel is designed for business leaders who want to see, taste, and understand what’s shaping the future of food – on the ground, with the people making it happen.
This isn’t theory. It’s experience-led insight you can act on, gained through curated itineraries, private access, and meaningful connections around the world.
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How Food innovation travel Works
Every Food Innovation Travel program combines the best of our expertise in travel, business and entertainment.
BUSINESS
Site Visits
Meetings
Networking
Brainstorming
TRAVEL
Flights
Hotels
Transfers
Private Charter
ENTERTAINMENT
Restaurants
Activities
Concerts
Events
1. Brief
2. Internal Consultation
3. Presentation
4. Travel
About A2D World
With nearly three decades of experience, A2D World is a trusted leader in creating unforgettable travel experiences for both private and corporate clients. Our global network and deep expertise across travel, hospitality, and innovation make us the go-to partner for brands looking to explore new ideas in real time.
Our mission is simple: to provide seamless access to extraordinary people, places, and possibilities, without the limitations of traditional consulting models. Our multilingual team brings a unique mix of industry knowledge, cultural fluency, and creative thinking to every journey we design.
