The humble ice cream is one of those things which links us with the past; after all, the Mr Whippy of today seems to taste just as it did in our childhood. Albeit costing a fair amount more.

It’s a traditional treat when heading to the seaside and generally, despite the deflating sensation of inflation, a relatively budget-friendly option for parents wishing to placate bored or hungry children. Or, for that matter, themselves.

Yet like everything else, it seems, there’s been a move over recent years to jazz it up.

Just look at all the dessert restaurants which have sprung up recently, offering dishes where the calorie count can truly – and in the long term potentially genuinely - take your breath away.

Which brings us, finally, to the subject of this week’s Eat My Words review. Because there’s a new kid in town – and its offering is, you guessed it, ice cream, albeit with a very modern twist.

Follow The Swirl opened this year in the archetypal British seaside resort of Margate. And if you’re going for a modern ice cream shop, then surely the only place to open is in the Old Town – beloved of those cash-rich DfLs we like complaining about (but who, realistically, often provide the footing to transform places).

First of all, were I wearing a hat, I would be obliged to doff it to whoever chose its location. Sat on the road which links the Old Town to the Turner Contemporary, its bright pink facade means it’s gloriously easy to find almost as soon as you’ve left the gallery. It’s certainly going to delight you young folk who know what Instagram is.

So what, I hear you plea, is its selling point?

In short, Follow the Swirl offers – and I quote – “real fruit ice cream, made to order, using seasonal berries sourced from local farmers and ice cream from sustainable dairies and plant bases”.

The result, it says, is a “fresh, healthier and more natural ice cream, served in a swirl”. Big talk indeed.

So on a sunny Sunday we join the back of a modest queue. There is no inside seating - this is “order at the counter then head off into the wild” territory.

As we wait we eye up the menu. If you want a classic ice cream in a cone, then you first choose your fruit of choice (when we visit there’s mango, autumn berries or raspberry), then pick whether you want the fruit in Jersey cream dairy or a dairy-free nut-based concoction. I opt for raspberry and, apologising to the cows involved in the process, Jersey cream. It costs £4.

There’s also a specials board offering ‘miso mash-up’ sundaes and a clutch of slushies.

My companion opts for a coconut miso sundae. No cow was harmed in the making of this one but it is £5.50.

Service is fast, friendly and before we know it we are back outside – albeit £9.50 lighter. Now, my initial response to this is ‘crikey, nearly £10 for two ice creams’. They had better be good. Unfair in this modern age? Probably.

If your first taste is always with the eyes, then the stacked fruit ice cream I proudly hold is already proving a classic. It’s tall...it’s colourful and I can actually see the bits of raspberry.

As for the taste? Delicious. The fruit gives it a real zing and the ice cream is, as you would expect, good quality stuff. There’s also an awful lot of the fruit and I’m still getting it in every mouthful even at the point of scoffing the last of the cone.

Unlike a Mr Whippy, which seems to go in a heartbeat, this takes a while to consume so I’m rating it high for longevity too. Mind you, the spring sunshine isn’t as potent as it will be in the summer which may change things. Regardless, it’s a top notch ice cream.

But, and there’s always a but, I’ll be honest, dear reader, and say that generally I feel if there’s a chocolate option, then I’m going to buy it. I opted for fruit here for you – remember that.

And so I ask my companion how the chocolate vegan sundae is going down. All I hear are contented noises. There’s a decent hunk of chocolate nut ice cream along with salted caramel and chocolate fudge sauce. You had me at chocolate.

Begrudgingly, I get offered a taste for review purposes. Now, I know the anti-vegan brigade are a proud and vocal bunch, but I defy you to eat this and not question its cow-like origin. It is delicious and the added frills applied to complement not swamp it. It is absolutely heavenly.

I am rueing my choice when I’m reliably told “it’s possibly the nicest ice cream I’ve ever had”. D’oh.

So, Follow My Swirl, you may have an odd name, but you do a very fine ice cream and I highly recommend it.

Out of five:

Food: Good quality, beautiful flavours and a great range for vegans *****

Drink: I know putting ice cream in a Coke is a ‘thing’ but, personally, why do you need a drink when eating ice cream? There was a fridge of soft drinks – we didn’t have one. ***

Decor: You cannot fault the design of this place – it’s not going to win originality awards, but it’s bright, clean and attractive and as the building itself is bright pink it brings atmosphere to the area too ****

Staff: Friendly, fast and polite. What’s not to like? *****

Price: I think I should take back my moan about the cost (£9.50 in total). On reflection, it was good value for a quality product which is a considerable step-up from a Mr Whippy. ****