'Canal flavoured' ice-cream in London

Carlo Gatti is credited with being Britain's first ice cream man, cutting ice from the Regent's Canal to make ice cream, a previously exclusive delight reserved for the rich, ice cream was made available to Londoner's in his café which he opened in Holborn in 1849.

And now British Waterways has teamed up with award-winning eco-restaurant The Waterhouse, run by Britain’s greenest chef Arthur Potts Dawson, to create a 'canal flavoured' ice cream in honour of Gatti, made with ingredients foraged from the water's edge in London.

Arthur says: "The location of the Waterhouse by the canal is central to its identity, so it’s a great chance to get involved in celebrating the history of a British culinary phenomenon that has its roots on the canal. Foraging for a local ingredient to base an ice cream flavour on was an enjoyable challenge for us all in the kitchen here, and we hope it proves popular with our customers and canal visitors alike."

The elderflower flavour ice has been added to the menu at the Waterhouse and will also be available to taste on the canal as part of a series of events inviting visitors to gain a fresh outlook on the canal's environment, and discover new aspects of the 200 year-old transport network.

Simon Bamford, general manager, British Waterways London says: "We’re hoping the events that we’re putting on along the Regent’s Canal as part of the London Festival of Architecture will capture the public’s interest in the wealth of heritage and the waterway environment. This is certainly a very distinctive way of capturing the imagination, using a universally-loved treat that ties in to the rich history of the area.

"It also shows the veritable larder of foods that are waiting to be foraged along the lengths of even urban canals. With a bit of thought, a walk along the towpath can be turned into an original experiment in the kitchen."

On Sunday 6 July, an actor impersonating Carlo Gatti will be walking the towpath telling visitors all about his business ventures, which included bringing 400 tons of Norwegian ice by canal to New Wharf Road. The London Canal Museum, that is open for free on the day, will have talks on the ice trade and ice wells.

For more information about the event, including timings, ticket details and prices, visit www.refreshregentscanal.co.uk.

For further information on the London Festival of Architecture visit www.lfa2008.org.