Ruby Violet creates bespoke ice creams, sorbets and frozen delights using only organic milk and the most simple or unusual fresh ingredients.
At Ruby Violet we use the most simple or unusual ingredients to create an array of pure and natural flavours with stunning colours and tastes to behold. We use organic milk, free range eggs and fresh fruit to produce small batches of ice cream and vegan sorbets in our kitchen at the back of our parlour in Tufnell Park, North London. Our packaging is either recyclable or compostable.
Click here for a list of all the flavours we have ever made!
Parlours
TUFNELL PARK
118 Fortess Road NW5 2HL.
Nearest tube: Tufnell Park (2 minutes walk). Bus: 134/390/4. Parking available on Fortess Road.
In July 2012 we opened our original parlour on a rather bleak Fortess Road and how it has changed over the years, we are now surrounded by other local small businesses.
We have a small seating area in the parlour and it is possible to sit outside preferably on a sunny day. The vintage 1920’s tiles on the floor came from a town house in Belgium via France. The cupboards are made up from pew ends and our huge clock came from a factory in Ravenglass in Cumbria. The plank table and children’s area are from wood Julie kept for 30 years knowing it would come in useful one day.
KING'S CROSS
Midland Goods Shed, 3 Wharf Road, N1C 4BZ, London
Nearest tube: King's Cross St Pancras (5 minutes walk). Bus: 390/10/17/59/91/259. Parking available nearby.
Our Kings Cross branch opened at the end of May 2016 in the Canal Quarter of the new development, situated in the Midland Goods shed next to Waitrose wine bar.
Our Panama table with its curvy profile came from the bottom of the Panama canal, we subsequently redesigned the seating area to accommodate this rather spontaneous purchase.
The flavours board was created with a nod to the old station arrivals boards and turned into reality by Esme, who was early on an extremely accomplished Ruby Violet scooper. One of the walls was created out of strips of mixed wood then adorned with lettering by Chrissie, who has helped out in roles too numerous to mention. The lights all came from India and were aged on a swing overlooking Juhu beach. Max carefully painted the tin wall and Kiran successfully learnt how to age mirrors.
We have an outside area framed with planters and Barbara the tricycle (unless she’s roaming Granary Square and the environs) with Frank the trolley usually somewhere close by. There are grassy hillocks suitable for lounging with a cone or two.
I love delicious frozen delights.
Happiness, smiling innocence, silencing children everywhere.
Silence is ice cream, raspberry ripple and chocolate orange.
Quick licking salted caramel. Spicy lime. Purple Pomegranate.
Smiling is a free facial work out, forget botox, all you need is ice cream.
Inspired by the original Ruby Violet, who loved a “choc ice”.
It’s never too cold. Ice cream warms your heart.
Transported to another world.
Free your mind, escape, use your imagination.
The aroma of simmering fruits,
whipped cream,
spun sugar,
caramel sauce,
crisp wafers,
a reward for your hard working week, the investment of your pocket money,
who can put a price on The Happy Experience.
Laughter, sharing, tasting, dreaming in ice cream, follow your ice cream dreams.
OUR STORY
Ruby Violet, my maternal grandmother, was born on the first day of Spring 1906. King Edward VII was on the throne and there was a heatwave that summer. She was a strident opinionated lady with dubious driving skills and a love of Energen rolls, Penguin biscuits, golf, bridge and ice cream.
Ruby Violet ice cream was born over 100 years later in 2011.
Ruby Violet loved a choc ice and I remember as a child the crisp cracking of the thin chocolate covering, my sister and I eating slices from a block of plain ice cream squashed between a couple of wafers. I remember the way we badgered her for ice cream on our holidays there and how she usually gave in, probably because it was a good excuse for her own indulgence.
For 34 years I worked as a Photographer. Ruby Violet was born out of a desire to create a high quality ice cream, using local produce and a wish to become more involved in our local community. I started making ice cream in a small domestic ice cream maker and I tested the recipes on my enthusiastic neighbours, who were and still are very forthcoming in their views.
I was commissioned to make ice cream cakes and bombes for birthdays and parties. After a few months a new market opened just down the road and I took a small market stall outside the Tufnell Park Tavern for 4 hours every Saturday.
I removed the back seats from my car and every single Saturday my partner, son, friends, neighbours and I lugged a heavy duty freezer box, 2 small freezers and a display freezer, 3 trestle tables, a gazebo, endless strings of homemade bunting in 3 separate journeys to the market and there whatever the weather we sold ice cream in cones and tubs
I invested in some larger machines and freezers, installing them in part of our living room, it put an end to our social life, but I felt lucky to have the space and the time to pursue my passion.
1 year later we moved into premises on the borders of Tufnell Park and Kentish Town, a little jewel in the heart of Fortess Road, from where we now create and serve our delicious ice cream and sorbet.
All the ice cream is still made in small batches, but now made in our parlour in Tufnell Park, North London, using seasonal fresh fruit, locally sourced where possible. In May 2016 we opened our second parlour in King's Cross, just off Granary Square.
Julie Fisher, Ruby Violet's founder
Office deliveries
Straight to your office we can deliver:
Tubs with spoons - 100ml ice cream and sorbet
Ice cream sandwiches
Ice creams on sticks (gelollies)
- Free delivery within King's Cross area
- £15 delivery charge outside King's Cross Estate
- Please allow at least 48 hours notice for your order
- Minimum order of £30
- Minimum of 4 items per flavour
- Seasonal variety of available flavours
Please head over to our shop to see the selection of items and flavours currently available and to place your order!
CLASSES
We hold different kinds of classes in our kitchen in Tufnell Park, from Children Parties to Ice Cream Masterclasses. If you would like to book a class or get more information on one please get in touch by filling the form at the bottom of this page.
children'S ice cream party
Children’s Parties at Ruby Violet involve both eating and making. On arrival the children will make their name badge and be adorned with a Ruby Violet headscarf to prevent hair going into the ice cream. There will be a short introduction outlining the history of Ruby Violet. The children then decorate small ice creams on sticks that we have already prepared, this involves chocolate and can be very creative and often quite messy.
We will all then go into the kitchen and discuss how we make the ice cream. There is then the opportunity to try lots of unusual ingredients. The children can then take it in turns to sit on our churning stool and have a go at layering the ice cream into a Napoli pan, this also involves tasting.
Back in the parlour each child can choose a flavour of ice cream or sorbet and there will be a tray of accompaniments including hot sauces, meringues and home made inclusions to create their own unique sundae. If you would like you can bring bunting and balloons to decorate the parlour.
The parties last one hour and cost £25 per child, with a minimum of six and a maximum of 12. Please enquire for bookings using the form at the bottom of the page.
baked alaska masterclass
A typical class lasts for two hours and will include:
- A glass of wine on arrival to unleash your creativity!
- A short introduction from Julie outlining Ruby Violet’s story.
- A step by step guide to making Ice Cream the Ruby Violet way, describing the use of ingredients and the processes involved in creating our unique ice cream & sorbet.
- The chance to try your hand at churning the ice cream using our professional equipment.
- An opportunity to see examples of the different specialist products we make, how we make them, and some of the more unusual ingredients we use.
- The all important tasting of a selection of our flavours (we do over 200 different flavours, too many to taste in one go).
- Instruction in the steps involved in making Baked Alaskas
- Making Mini Baked Alaskas (preparing Genoese sponge, churning ice cream, Italian meringue, assembly)
- Your own Mini Baked Alaskas to take home
Classes are held for a minimum of 4 people and cost £85 per person. Please enquire for bookings using the form below.
private ice cream masterclass
A typical class lasts for two hours and will include:
- A glass of wine on arrival to unleash your creativity!
- A short introduction from Julie outlining Ruby Violet’s story.
- A step by step guide to making Ice Cream the Ruby Violet way, describing the use of ingredients and the processes involved in creating our unique ice cream & sorbet.
- The chance to try your hand at churning the ice cream using our professional equipment.
- An opportunity to see examples of the different specialist products we make, how we make them, and some of the more unusual ingredients we use.
- The all important tasting of a selection of our flavours (we do over 200 different flavours, too many to taste in one go).
- To round off the occasion a choice of 1 medium tub of ice cream to take home and enjoy.
Classes are held for a minimum of 4 people and cost £85 per person. Please enquire for bookings using the form below.
YOur events
We can fulfill your ice cream dreams at any type of event. We cater for weddings, birthdays, launches, fashion and corporate events and children's parties. We also run ice-cream masterclasses for individuals or groups.
We pride ourselves on ensuring all our events are as personal and as bespoke as possible, please contact us to discuss your options using the form at the bottom of this page.
Weddings & parties
We have a range of options, available to book individually or together:
Billy the van
Barbara the tricycle
Frank the trolley
Serve over stand
Billy, our 1968 vintage Austin ice cream van, comes filled with your choice of 12 flavours of ice cream and sorbet, to be served in cones or cups with wafers and napkins by Ruby Violet staff.
We can roam around with our freezer tricycle or trolley or set up a stand with a choice of four flavours to be scooped in cones or cups. We can also serve cones or cups of ice cream from usherette trays and delight your guests with frozen treats in different shapes and flavours.
We create celebration cakes and desserts in any flavour, size and design you wish to make the experience most memorable for you and your guests.
Bespoke flavours & events
Over the last 6 years we have created a vast range of unique and unusual flavours, alcoholic sorbets and savoury ice creams for a variety of different clients.
In addition to serving ice cream in cones or cups, we can design an experience to complement your product and brand, be that developing flavours and colours to work with your launch or serving products from our Special Occasions range, which includes gelollies, petit fours, flowers, cakes, bombes and ice cream sandwiches.
We work with clients to create bespoke flavours. Some recent collaborations include: Rare Food Events, Chandon, Food Network, Toujours 21, Principal Global Events.
PUDDING CLUB
Every Friday and Saturday from 6 to 9:30 pm we host our Pudding Club. You can enjoy delicious Mini Chocolate Fondant Puddings and Mini Baked Alaskas, as well as our ice creams and sorbets. We also serve wine, prosecco and limoncino and we have a number of ice cream and alcohol combinations to delight you with.
Please get in touch with us using the form below if you would like to book the Panama Table at our King's Cross parlour.
PRESS
London's best hot chocolate
Who doesn't love hot chocolate in the winter? And this may be the best hot chocolate I've had in a while (and we drink a lot of hot chocolate in our house...)
Not a Sponge in sight
Introducing the new contender vying to be your wedding cake. Perfect for a summer party, these amazing creations, all served cold, are filled with fruits and cream...
london's Best Ice Cream Sandwiches
Forget your typical bread and butter; these sandwiches place ice cream between dreamy layers of cookie, cake and the like. Grab a spoon or get sticky
CAREERS
In order to make, sell, deliver and promote our frozen delights we need dedicated and passionate people.
At the moment we are looking to employ:
- FOH Staff (full and part time)
- Retail & Production Supervisor
Please read below for more information. To apply for any of the positions, please email parlour@rubyviolet.co.uk with your CV along with a brief cover letter explaining why you would be perfect for the role.
FOH Staff
Here’s who we are looking for:
- Sparky people who love interacting with our customers
- People with talent, flair and passion
- ‘Can do’ proactive people who enjoy working in a team and the buzz of a busy environment, where customers come to buy and enjoy our ice cream delights
- People who take pride in what they do; getting the details right matters.
- People who love ice cream. Isn’t that everyone?
- People with an excellent level of spoken English.
- People with proof of eligibility to take work in the UK.
Here’s what we offer:
- Salary (gross) £7.50-£9/hour depending on contract type and experience.
- Preferably full time hours.
- A friendly, supportive working environment where full training is provided and where you can grow as we grow.
- All that fun we mentioned and….that’s right….ice cream.
Apply to join us now. Send your CV and any covering message to Freya Lines at parlour@rubyviolet.co.uk
Retail & Production Supervisor
Ice Cream Chef
We are looking for:
- People who have at least 1 year experience in a food retail environment
- People with talent, flair and passion
- ‘Can do’ proactive people who enjoy working in a team and the buzz of a busy environment, where customers come to buy and enjoy our ice cream delights
- People who take pride in what they do; getting the details right matters.
- People who love ice cream. Isn’t that everyone?
- People with an excellent level of spoken English.
- People with proof of eligibility to take work in the UK.
Here’s what we offer:
- Salary (gross) £25k-£28k depending on contract type and experience.
- Full time hours if that’s what you’re after, or flexible part time hours if you have to work around other commitments.
- A friendly, supportive working environment where full training is provided and where you can grow as we grow.
- All that fun we mentioned and….that’s right….ice cream.
Apply to join us now. Send your CV and any covering message to Freya Lines parlour@rubyviolet.co.uk
We are looking for staff to join the Ruby Violet team and work in our kitchen as an ice cream maker.
We create exciting and innovative ice creams and sorbets using only the best quality ingredients and production methods which we serve from our Tufnell Park and Kings Cross parlours.
Applicants do not require experience with Ice Cream but should have previous kitchen experience.
Qualifications:
- Fluent English.
- Level 2 Food & Hygiene certificate (you can get this online).
- Valid work permit/visa for the UK.
-Must be willing to work flexible hours, in particular weekends. July-August are our high season, which means we need all hands on deck.
Please send a copy of your cover letter and CV to parlour@rubyviolet.co.uk