Ice Cream Industry Statistics in the U.K.
The U.K. Loves Ice Cream!
From a classic 99 by the beach on a sunny day, to all the modern dietary-friendly alternatives now available, it’s no shock to say that the UK collectively loves ice cream in all its variations!
If you’re considering making a move into the ice cream market, whether that’s expanding your existing business operations, or creating and opening a new hospitality brand, then we understand you might want to dig into the market in as many ways as possible.
At Dairyglen we’re industry experts with 30+ years of experience in ice cream, milkshakes and other frozen treats so we’ve collected together some helpful ice cream statistics to help get you started.
Ice Cream Trends UK
£380M
Ice cream sales in 2021 UK
£1.32 Billion
Ice cream market value UK
18.4%
Premium ice cream sales growth UK
UK Ice Cream Statistics
380 million litres of ice cream sold throughout the UK in 2021.
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/481207/ice-cream-volume-sales-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/#:~:text=During%202021%2C%20the%20sales%20volume,to%20approximately%20380%20million%20litersThe UK ice cream market is currently valued at around £1.32 billion as of 2021. That’s a lot of ice cream!
Source: https://www.statista.com/topics/7237/ice-cream-in-the-uk/#topicHeader__wrapperThe ice cream market within the UK has grown by approximately 2.2% year on year between 2017 and 2022.
Source: https://www.ibisworld.com/united-kingdom/market-size/ice-cream-production/The UK ice cream market is also expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.9% from 2021-2026.
Source: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/ice-cream-marketLuxury and premium ice cream sales grew by 18.4% and 18.3% respectively, during 2021 showing a healthy appetite (pun intended!) for higher spending.
Source: https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/category-reports/brain-freeze-britain-ice-cream-category-report-2021/653640.articleThe Guardian reported last year that Britons were set to spend an extra £100 million on ice cream in 2022.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/jun/12/alt-ice-cream-enters-mainstream-as-uk-sales-rise-with-the-temperatureThe sales of non-dairy alternatives, such as are Vegan soft-serve mix, were also expected to grow with 14% of new product launches in 2022 being dedicated to the alternative market.
Shoppers paid 16p more on average for ice cream in 2019 across the UK.
Source: https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/download?ac=229631
Ice Cream Global Statistics
If we expand our view and look at the wider global trends…
The global ice cream market was valued at $71.5 billion in 2021, with a projected growth to $104.9 billion by 2029!
Source: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/ice-cream-market-104847
In the US alone, the overall frozen dessert market is expected to reach a valuation of $82 billion by 2028 with more growth expected in product innovation, new flavours and new ingredients.
Source: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ice-cream-market-size-worth-114-7-billion-by-2030-at-cagr-of-4-2-grand-view-research-inc-301524778.html
Irish Ice Cream Statistics
Many Dairyglen clients operate across both the UK and Ireland, so if you’d like to dig into Irish ice cream statistics, click here.
Get in touch
We hope this helps provide a bit more depth to your understanding of the market. If you’d like to talk to our team about machines, services or training then get in touch with the Dairyglen team today.