The U.K. Loves Ice Cream!

The UK’s love affair with ice cream, and the classic 99, has been charted across music, film and story for decades. So it’s no shock to see the ice cream market continue to expand and grow well into the 21st century.

Nowadays it isn’t just confined to the ice cream van perched by the beachside, or parked up in the estate on a sunny day.

Restaurants, motorway garages and food trucks, as well as the traditional ice cream parlour, are all in on the act now.

We’ve been working within the industry, with clients and business across the UK and Ireland, for 35+ years and always keep an eye on the latest developments, including these latest market stats.

The UK is another major ice cream market, with consumers eating approximately 7 litres of ice cream per person each year.

The UK ice cream manufacturing sector has an annual turnover of approximately £520 million, with more than 350 businesses currently operating within the sector.

The market is expected to continue growing, with some forecasts suggesting it could reach £4.2 billion by 2032.

The wider dairy and food manufacturing sector is worth more than £5 billion annually in the UK, with ice cream accounting for approximately £1.3 billion.

UK market growth

The market also experienced strong growth during 2025.

According to The Grocer, the value of the ice cream market increased by 9% during the year, while sales volumes increased by 3.2%.

This combination of value and volume growth points towards continued consumer demand for ice cream, despite wider pressures on household spending.