Dairy farmers encouraged to break into ice-cream market
Dairy farmers are enjoying huge success in diversifying into the ice cream market and there is plenty of room for expansion according to the Ice Cream Alliance
Ice cream manufacturing has become a popular route for hard pressed dairy farmers looking for higher yields from their milk.
And according to Zelica Carr – Chief Executive Officer for the Ice Cream Alliance – the public can’t get enough of farmer’s high quality ice creams.
“There continues to be a tremendous demand for high quality ice creams and dairy farmers have been quick to respond to this demand,” said Mrs Carr.
“More than 75 per cent of new members joining the Alliance are farmers and the vast majority have been very successful.
“There is still plenty of scope to diversify and the Ice Cream Alliance will provide lots of information and advice to farmers who are considering investing in ice cream production.”
The ice cream sector is a major part of the UK’s food economy with an estimated value of 1.5 billion
Mrs Carr said exhibitor bookings were up on previous years as suppliers lined up to showcase their new products.
“The expo is the biggest of its kind and we would expect millions of pounds worth of business will be generated from this event.
“The ice cream industry is in good shape in spite of the recession with new ice cream manufacturers continuing to enter the market.
“Demand for quality ice cream continues to be strong amongst consumers and the expo will be attracting key decision makers in the industry who are keen to take advantage of the latest innovations in manufacturing techniques and retail strategy.
Visitors to the show represent a large portion of the available spend within the industry including machinery manufacturers, static and mobile retailing and food service operators. “
Mrs Carr added: Consumer demand shows no signs of slowing and this is being met by a growth in the number of smaller producers supplying a wonderful array of high quality ice cream products.
Anyone who is in the ice cream business or thinking of diversifying into it needs to be at this exhibition.
The exhibition will also host the prestigious National Ice Cream Competition which attracts entries from hundreds of ice cream producers across the UK and Ireland all vying to win the coveted Champion of Champions title. A new class for chocolate ice cream has been added this year sponsored by Cadburys.
This year’s event will also feature a series of seminars including one by television financial commentator Justin Urquhart-Stewart on how businesses can beat the recession.
Further information can be obtained at www.ice-cream.org or by contacting Zelica Carr 01332 203333.
The Ice Cream Alliance represents more than 650 businesses in Great Britain and Ireland involved in the manufacturing, retail and catering of ice cream and related products
The ICA has long established links with all Government bodies, particularly DEFRA and the Department of Health (DoH) and we are continually involved in putting forward and supporting the views of our members.
The UK ice cream market was estimated at 1.48billion in 2005 with a volume of 522 million litres (RTS Research).