Classic flavours like vanilla, chocolate and mint chocolate chip are top-loved flavours of ice-cream in the UK, supermarket chain Tesco has revealed in its recent report ahead of National Ice Cream Day, pointing out “sundaes at home” and “salted caramel” as the top trends of this year.
According to the new research, the nation have liking for classic flavours, with vanilla (42 per cent), chocolate (32 per cent) and mint chocolate chip (29 per cent) taking the top spots. On the other hand, once-beloved flavours like Neapolitan seem to have lost their charm and is the ice cream of choice for only 11 per cent of the nation, missing out on the top 10.
When it comes to the UK’s ice cream capital, Cardiff takes the title, with nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of people indulging in a refreshing ice cream at least once a week during the summer. Close contenders for this position include Sheffield (73 per cent) and Southampton (71 per cent).
When enjoying ice cream at home, nearly half (45 per cent) of ice cream enthusiasts prefer to savour the treat in a bowl, while just over a quarter (29 per cent) opt for the classic cone. Surprisingly, one in four people (25 per cent) admit to indulging in their ice cream straight from the tub – a trope much-seen in Hollywood films – embracing a casual and carefree approach.
Reflecting ever-evolving ice cream trends, Gen Z exhibits somewhat more adventurous preferences. One in ten (11 per cent) of 18–24-year-olds now favour ice cream sandwiches, whilst 8 per cent delight in the chewy texture of mochi as their preferred ice cream treat.
Talking about trends for 2023, Jaimini Sharma, ice cream product development manager at Tesco, pointed out “sundaes at home” and “salted caramel” as the buzzwords.
“Between 2015 and 2020, salted caramel witnessed a remarkable growth rate of 105 per cent. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that salted caramel now ranks as the nation’s fourth most popular ice cream flavour amongst 24 per cent of people according to Tesco data. The trend towards salted caramel appears to have multigenerational appeal and illustrates our growing appetite for combining sweet and savoury flavours.
“Ice creams are becoming increasingly adventurous, giving rise to new and exciting flavour combinations and innovative textural inclusions. This trend has seen the rise of indulgently nostalgic cookie dough in ice cream,” reports quoted Sharma as saying.
