Hard Pressed Dairy Farmers Urged to Consider Ice Cream Boom
UK – Struggling UK dairy farmers could generate greater profit and maintain business viability by diversifying into ice cream production, the UK’s trade body for ice cream has said.
19 August 2015
2 minute read
Sales of ice cream are growing in the UK while many dairy farms are struggling, is the message of The Ice Cream Alliance, which has a training and support package for farmers to create workable products.
Ice cream sales generate more than £1 billion each year, with average per capita consumption at nine litres.
This is according to Ice Cream Alliance chief executive officer, Zelica Carr, who said the market is “extremely buoyant” and forecast to grow until at least 2020.
Mrs Carr said: "Ice cream remains the UK's favourite affordable treat with each person consuming an average of nine litres a year. One of the reasons for its success is the wonderful array of small producers making high quality products and many of these are dairy farmers.
"We believe it is vital for our industry that we continue to attract high quality businesses into ice cream manufacture and we are particularly keen to help dairy farmers.
"We can offer farmers a superb business start-up service with advice and training from some of the industry's most skilled and experienced operators.”
North Yorkshire ice cream maker David Otterburn (pictured), an ice cream maker of thirty years, said: "Switching to ice cream making was best decision we ever made.
“Its a hugely enjoyable and interesting business and instead of getting a few pence per litre farmers have the potential to be earning more than £18 per litre for scooped ice cream. It's a no brainer as far as I am concerned."
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