A fast-melting cone devoured by the seaside, an ice lolly grabbed from a corner shop freezer or the familiar chimes of the van; whether we're eating them in balmy sunshine or cloudy gloom, ice creams are as synonymous with the Great British summer as a stick of rock and spending our spare change at the arcades. It's what makes them such a nostalgic sweet treat – however or wherever we first enjoyed them, most of us have memories of ice cream as children, and favourite picks that have lingered with us long past childhood, from Magnums and Cornettos to a scoop of strawberry. They might not always match Italy's gelato in the artisanal stakes, but they don't need to – when we're looking for a hit of sweet summer nostalgia, we know where to turn.

Though their understanding of food and kitchen prowess might top ours, even the country's best chefs can't ignore the lure of a classic ice cream cone. Here, we've asked some of our chefs to tell us what they'll be ordering this summer, and why it makes the cut. And if you fancy making your own ice cream or sorbet this summer, have a browse through our recipes here; there's everything from the classic, like our strawberry and coffee flavours, to ones you might not have tried, including malt, Earl Grey, sakura and Thai coconut.

'I would say my go-to is a choc ice, but they have to be milk chocolate ones. Don’t bother with expensive ones; just go for the cheap ones – the cheaper the better. I love their waxy texture (and taste!) and the way the white paper wrapper always sticks to the chocolate.'

'A Calippo is so refreshing, with a burst of natural juice flavours. My mum used to buy them for me and my siblings, and now I buy them for my kids and it’s a joy when we are all enjoying them together. It brings happy memories generation to generation.'

'From a very early age my mum drilled into us that ice cream vans didn’t do 'real' ice cream, but when we did go I was never very good with cones so I always had a tub with a Mr Whippy and a flake on top – the flake was my favourite bit. But my favourite ice cream flavour is pistachio – it always has been and I think always will. Only really good pistachio, normally from Italy. If that’s not available my indulgence would be mint chocolate chip, you can rarely go wrong with it!'

'I’m a sucker for ice cream sandwiches. By far the most nostalgic one which I used to gravitate to when I was a kid growing up in Sydney was the classic Monaco Bar. Vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate biscuits – what's not to like?'

'An oyster Whippy ice cream is a proper childhood favourite of mine. It’s a wafer shell filled with sticky marshmallow, dipped in chocolate and desiccated coconut, then filled with 99p Whippy ice cream. I was eating these back when the Flake 99 was actually 99p. Where I lived as a kid, the ice cream van wouldn’t actually come all the way down the road, so all the kids would run up to it. You could get a lot of the ice lollies that it sold in the shops after school, but not the Flake 99 – which was my usual order. My mum always used to get the oyster, which became my go-to after I tried it once. They used to cost £1.20 and they’re now £5, but still to this day, if there’s an oyster available, I’ll order it.'

'I used to love eating a Feast on the way back from school. The best part about it is the different textures you get when you bite into it. It has that crisp chocolate coating with biscuit pieces, a light creamy ice cream and the solid chocolate centre. My favourite was the mint flavour.'

'Overall, I’d have to say chocolate ice cream. I just love chocolate in general, but also enjoy a salty addition to it, so miso or something malty. In terms of shop bought, it’s got to be ice cream Mars, which are better than a Mars Bar because the caramel is runnier! I also love Magnums, the ratio of chocolate to ice cream on a Magnum is great, you get such a good crack on that first bite. And finally, I’m a big fan of Happy Endings' homage to the ice cream sandwich – their flavours are spectacular.'

'Definitely a Flake 99 – it reminds me of every childhood memory I have of every trip to the park, and the sound of Mr Whippy's tinny chimes. '

'It would have to be Happy Endings soft serve – creamy, not too sweet, and the perfect texture.'

'Though you might not spot it in many shops here, there's one that's a bit off the beaten path and holds a special place in my heart – goat's milk with blue cheese and olive oil. Trust me, it's a game-changer! There's something about the combination that's ridiculously satisfying. It's got this chewy texture, a perfect balance of salty and sweet, and that smooth, unctuous feel from the oil. Every bite takes me back to those days when my family would indulge in a powerful Portuguese cheese called Queijo de Castelo Branco after our meals. Maybe that's why this quirky ice cream flavour hits home for me!'