Trick to beat cost after ice cream prices rise by 38%

Popular ice creams including Cornetto and Solero have risen in price by up to 38% in the past two years, a consumer group has found. The biggest price increase Which? found was on a six-cone pack of Cornetto strawberry ice cream rising from £2.57 to £3.55, a 38% rise between 2022 and 2024, while a six-cone pack Cornetto Classico rose 35% from £2.57 to £3.48. .

A three-pack of Solero exotic ice cream rose 35% from £2.03 to £2.75, a four-pack of Feast chocolate ice cream rose 28% from £2.42 to 3, £11 and a six-pack of Fab Strawberry Fruit. lollies rose 23% from £1.97 to £2.43. Consumers buying Rowntree products saw a four-pack of Fruit Pastilles rise from £2 to £2.43, and a four-pack of the brand’s Watermelon lollies rose from £2.03 to £2.47, or 21%.

However, a three-pack of Magnum’s Golden Caramel Billionaire fell from £3.72 to £3.63, or 2%. Which? compared the costs of ice cream at the UK’s biggest supermarkets in the two months to 8 July 2024 with the same period two years earlier.

All prices were averages at the major supermarkets where they were available for the two-month period each year and include regular discounts but not multiple or loyalty prices. Unilever owns the Cornetto, Feast, Solero and Magnum brands, while Nestle owns the Rowntree and Fab brands.

Rising prices for raw materials such as milk and sugar, combined with high energy and transportation costs, have contributed to rising prices. Global food price inflation currently stands at 1.6%, according to Kantar analysts.

A blind consumer taste test for what? to see how supermarket brands fared against Cornetto and Solero, found Aldi’s Gianni’s Tropico Exotic Fruit Lollies (£1.35 for three) scored 76%, which was higher overall compared to the Solero. However, Solero scored relatively well overall with 70%, but the panel found the flavor less appealing compared to other supermarket ice creams.

For the strawberry ice cream cone tests, Asda, Lidl and Morrisons tied with a top score of 77%. Asda’s Strawberry Ice Cream Cones, which cost £1.99 for six, Lidl’s Bon Gelati Ice Cream Cones are also £1.99 for six, and Morrisons’ Strawberry Ice Cream Cones, which cost £1.50 for four, were the most “satisfying and tasty”, the test found.

Which? Retail editor Ele Clark said: “Few of us can resist an ice cream on a hot summer’s day, but the price rises our research has revealed could leave ice cream lovers feeling the chill. Fortunately, the tests Which? have revealed some own-brand supermarket alternatives that taste better and cost less than their big-brand rivals.”

Unilever said: “We are committed to using the highest quality ingredients for our ice cream products and regularly reviewing our ranges to ensure we continue to offer our shoppers choice, superior quality and value by offering a range of sizes of products to suit different buyers. ‘ preferences, needs and budgets.

“The retail price of our products is always at the sole discretion of the distributor and we, like all manufacturers, only offer a suggested retail price.”

A spokesman for Froneri, the licensed manufacturer of all Nestle lollies and ice cream in the UK, said: “Retail prices are always at the sole discretion of individual traders. Like any manufacturer, we have experienced significant cost increases, which make our products much more expensive to manufacture.

“We have strived to be more efficient and absorb rising costs where possible. However, in order to maintain the highest quality standards, it has sometimes been necessary to make adjustments to the price of some of our products.”