La Grotta Ices

In a small converted greengrocers in south London (her ice cream shed), Kitty Travers is patiently creating an array of iced delights - fresh ice creams that taste of the real, whole fruits; hand-made choc ices that crack open to reveal layers of playful pastel-coloured flavours you didn't even know existed; juice-drenched granitas to be stuffed into brioche buns with fresh cream; and eye-popping, palate-tickling sorbets that will enliven the taste buds of all those lucky enough to sample them.

This is the culmination of the years of work and research that has made La Grotta Ices. A life-long ice cream enthusiast, Kitty got her training in New York, after which she worked with Mario Batali at Otto before returning to London as a pastry chef. She spent five years at St John, before buying an old Piaggio Ape and setting up La Grotta in 2008. Throughout these years, every spare moment she had was used for travel and exploration - from France, Sicily, Rome and Naples to Iceland, Istanbul and Brazil.