I remember it well. The first queue for an ice cream van since lockdown, in a park in Yeadon, snaking around the corner and seeming to go on forever! Mind you, it was fantastic to be allowed to buy a '99' again after the restrictions had been lifted. Sometimes, it's the little things in life.
A report from consumer group Which? released this week shows that popular ice creams including Cornetto and Solero have soared in price by up to 38% in the last couple of years. The biggest rise was found on a six pack of Cornetto strawberry ice cream cones, which rose from £2.57 to £3.55, an increase of 38% between 2022 and 2024, which is enough to give you one of those ice cream headaches. Cornetto Classico cones rose by 35%, which perhaps means just one Cornetto is all you can justify..
I'm convinced they've got smaller too, but it might be that I'm just greedy. Anyway, back to our Which? findings, and Solero exotic ice cream three packs are up by 35%, Feast four packs have rocketed by 28%, and the underrated Fab is 23% more expensive (although personally, I prefer a Nobbly Bobbly).
The rises are being blamed on the increase in costs for raw ingredients like milk and sugar, combined with high energy and transportation costs. Overall, grocery price inflation is up by 1.6%, according to industry experts Kantar.
When it comes to own brands, Which? also looked at whether dupes could be the answer, and Aldi's Tropico Exotic Fruit Lollies were rated more highly than their Solero equivalents. Other own brands did pretty well too, including Asda's strawberry ice cream cones and Lidl's Bon Gelati ice cream cones.
The group's Retail Editor Ele Clark said: "Few of us can resist an ice cream on a hot summer's day, but the price hikes our research has revealed could leave ice cream lovers feeling cold".
Manufacturers say they have tried to absorb increasing costs where possible, but almost a fiver for a pack of ice creams does feel like a dear do to me. Spare a thought too for ice cream vans, who are subject to the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and have strict limits imposed on both the volume and duration of their trademark chime.
John Barton, who runs Harrison's Ices, said he was taken aback when he received a council letter in Grimsby complaining about his jingles. He said: "It really depends on the chime. Just One Cornetto is loud and high pitched. It's the Blue Peter chime we use, which isn't". I'd personally argue anyone who's upset about a tinny version of the Match of the Day theme ringing out from a Mister Softee van probably needs to down tools and grab an ice cream, and lighten up a bit. I'm far more offended by people who take phone calls on the train on speaker mode, acting like they are starring in The Apprentice.
Ice cream is one of the best things about summer. Long live the ice cream van, and own brands to save us money, too! I'm fairly sure I couldn't tell the difference between a Magnum and a Lidl own version if blindfolded, but it's an experiment I'd be happy to take part in. I have happy childhood memories of buying Mr T cola-flavoured lollies from our village shop for 9 pence, which makes me sound really old, as I'm fairly sure nothing now costs under 10p. Except maybe a James Corden DVD box set in a charity shop.
Whilst I've got your attention, I'd very much like to see the return of jokes on lolly sticks, although I suppose that runs the risk of lollies being cancelled if someone is offended, so maybe not. Also, I'm not sure if it was a dream, but I went to my local Golden Arches the other day, and discovered the McFlurry machine was actually working! There's an urban myth that they are a nightmare to clean, which is why they are often out of action, but I can't confirm or deny if this is true.
Thanks to Which? anyway for the important ice cream research. I've also found the price of nice coffee has gone through the roof, and since when was a tin of Heinz soup close to £2?! It's staggering how much some stuff has gone up. Anyway, all this talk of ice cream has made me rather peckish, so I'm off to the shop if you'd like anything.
Alex B Cann column: Should we have the right to switch off?
