The Licktators

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Licktators is an ice cream manufacturing company located in London, England that has been described by the high-end department store Selfridges as "more Sid and Nancy than Ben & Jerry".[1]

Foundation[]

Licktators was founded by activist Matt O’Connor, founder of Fathers 4 Justice and formerly of The Icecreamists. He uses unusual flavors and textures to create his ice creams such as donated breast milk, bread, roses, and absinthe. The company once served a three-course Sundae Lunch which featured pea, beef, and horseradish flavors.[2] The company gained notoriety in 2011 for its "Baby Gaga" breast milk ice cream, which is made with donated breast milk. In 2015 Licktators collaborated with the band Blur to create an ice cream flavor based on their album, The Magic Whip.[3]

The breast milk ice cream was launched in 2011 with the help of Victoria Hiley, a breastfeeding mother and advocate who answered an ad asking for breastmilk posted on Mumsnet, an online mothers' group. She donated 30 imperial fluid ounces (850 ml; 29 US fl oz) of breast milk which helped make the first 50 servings of ice cream.[4] It was relaunched as "Royal Baby Gaga" in 2015 in celebration of the birth of Princess Charlotte and to remind the Duchess of Cambridge and mothers around the U.K. of the benefits of breastfeeding.

Founder Matt O'Connor has been involved with ice cream for over 20 years.[citation needed] As a designer, he helped launch Vienneta and Magnum, and designed the packaging for Loseley ice cream. He studied flavor theory in Italy at Bologna’s Carigiani Gelato University.[citation needed] He works with Mark Broadbent, his chef, and Alex Kammerling, a mixologist for Grey Goose.[citation needed]

Legal troubles[]

In 2009, Licktators was threatened with legal action by the Sex Pistols after the debut of "God Save the Cream" (a take-off of the 1977 Sex Pistols song, God Save the Queen) which contained a herbal Viagra-type ingredient.[5] In March 2011, The Icecreamists ice cream parlor was ordered to stop selling the "Baby Gaga" breast milk ice cream by command of the Westminster Council. After two complaints from members of the public, and apprehension about the product on the part of the Health Protection Agency and Food Standards Agency, officials confiscated all ice cream that contained breast milk so that it could undergo testing for potential communicable pathogens contained in bodily fluids.[6] .O’Connor, however, insisted that the breast milk was screened and tested using the same processes that blood donor centers and breast milk banks use. The health protection agency ultimately permitted sale for human consumption.[7]

In 2015, Lady Gaga threatened to sue O’Connor for the use of her name in association with the "Baby Gaga" ice cream, claiming that he had used her name without consent.[8] At that time it was renamed "Royal Baby Gaga" to commemorate the birth of Princess Charlotte, daughter of Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It was distributed in blue and pink tubs and showed the Duchess of Cambridge holding a baby, accompanied by a pink and blue British flag. He claimed the name was actually a reference to the sound that babies make.[citation needed]

References[]

  1. ^ Cooshtee. "The Licktators". The Licktators - Original British Licks. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Matt O'Connor - father for justice and ice cream extremist". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  3. ^ music, Guardian (11 May 2015). "Blur whip up branded ice cream for forthcoming UK tour". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  4. ^ "Someone's re-launched breast milk ice cream in honour of the royal baby". Metro. 23 April 2015. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  5. ^ "Matt O'Connor - father for justice and ice cream extremist". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  6. ^ "Breast milk ice cream banned from London shop". 1 March 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  7. ^ "Matt O'Connor - father for justice and ice cream extremist". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Lady Gaga threatens breast milk ice cream maker". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
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