Whether you have a sweet tooth or not, it’s undeniable that ice cream is one of the nation’s favourite frozen desserts, and whilst it’s a classic – there are new trends reinventing the wheel and shaking up menus. Be ready for the upcoming summer season, with our top 5 ice cream trends for 2024.

1. Playful formats

Ice cream is no longer limited to cones or sundae glasses. We’re now seeing operators getting more creative, and with the rise in consumers sharing crazy food creations online, it’s really driving a trend for unusual ways to serve the classic dish.
From ice cream tacos, to ice cream filled croissants, and even hot cross bun ice cream sandwiches! Why not get playful and elevate your dishes to really create the wow factor.

2. Bitesize ice cream

Smaller, bitesize ice cream products have stormed the market in the last few years, and is continuing to grow, with a third of ice cream consumers’ saying they’re interested in trying bite size portions of ice cream*.
Whether it’s Magnum Bites or Little Moons, these are great options for those looking to add mini dessert dishes to menus, or for extra choice in your freezer range for the summer.

3. Dessert inspired

We named this as one of the top 4 ice cream trends for 2023, and it isn’t going away any time soon. In fact, we think this will continue to grow and grow, with brands launching new flavours all the time. We’re loving Yarde Farm’s new flavours – Lemon Meringue Ice Cream (18733), delicious ripples of lemon curd with added chunks of crunchy meringue, and Strawberry Cheesecake (17498), one of the most popular desserts on a menu, converted into ice cream format!

4. Plant based

Not necessarily new to the market, but there has been steady growth in the plant based market for ice cream for some time now. Not just for vegan consumers, but very often for those with a dairy intolerance, looking for an alternative of their favourite frozen treat.
Make sure you have a standout selection – perhaps Yarde Farm’s Plant Based Honeycomb Ice Cream (14674), or Jude’s Vegan Coconut Ice Cream (80035)?

5. Dog ice cream

Ice cream operators and brands alike have found that it isn’t only human visitors to ice cream huts who enjoy a treat whist out on their walks or on holiday. Dog ice cream is on the rise and multiple brands have launched their own versions of doggy ice cream for vendors to sell, as well as their traditional (human) ice cream.
Thankfully Bidfood has you covered, with both Yarde Farm and Jude’s having launched their own version of this, available to buy now.

So there you have it. 5 ice cream trends for 2024!
If you want to find out about more top trends for this year, head to our Food & Drinks 2024 Trends page , and for more information on ice cream check out our brand new Ice Cream Guide or dedicated page: wholesale ice cream supplier.