Ice cream trends: history, health, and sustainability in one scoop
Ice cream is the perfect summer treat, but have you ever considered where it originated?
The history of ice cream
According to the Ice Cream Alliance (the UK Trade Association for ice cream), the earliest evidence of anything approaching ice cream being made was in China in the Tang period (CE 618-907). Buffalo, cow and goat milk was heated and allowed to ferment. The resulting yogurt was then mixed with snow to make ‘milk ice’.
As milk ice grew in popularity, the Chinese began to add fruit pulp to the blend and thus created the first ice cream.
The ancient Chinese may have created ice cream, but it was the Italians who developed it into the treat we know today.
It took many centuries for Chinese milk ice to reach Italian shores, and once it did, Italian nobles kept the recipe for milk ice a closely guarded secret. They kept winter snow in underground caverns ready for summer – turning ice cream back into a treat reserved for only the wealthiest citizens.
Legend has it that, in 1533, at the wedding of Catherine de’ Medici, a Venetian, to Henry II, the future king of France, Italian chefs prepared a unique fruit ice flavour for each day of the celebrations, enabling the guests to try new and exciting tastes for the first time.
In one of these innovative recipes, her chefs allegedly replaced milk with sweetened cream, turning traditional Chinese milk ice into a richer, more indulgent dessert – the world’s first ‘ice cream’.
Even if this isn’t true, the Italians perfected the art of ice cream making and as many Italians left their homeland and settled in other countries, they took their delicious gelato recipes with them.
In the UK, ice cream is thought to have been first served at a banquet for the Feast of St. George at Windsor Castle in 1671. It was such an unusual dish that only the guests on King Charles II’s table enjoyed “one plate of white strawberries and one plate of iced cream” whilst the other guests had to sit and stare at what the Royal table were eating. British nobility then built their own ice houses to store their exclusive treat.
By the 1800s, Italian immigrants to the UK had created a burgeoning ice cream industry. The key to their success was readily available ice, which was imported from Canada, America and Norway. Italian families worked together at home to produce ice cream which they sold from pushcarts and barrows. Their pushcarts selling ‘penny lick’ ice creams were a common sight on the streets of London and in seaside towns. Vendors, or jacks, would sell ice cream in small glass containers, a penny for a lick.
The small dishes were made from thick, cheap glass with heavy bottoms, creating an impression that the bowl was full, but actually there was only a lick! The glass came in three sizes – the ha’penny lick, the penny lick and the tu’penny lick. The penny lick was the most popular.
Once the customer had eaten the ice cream, and licked the glass clean, it would be returned to the vendor who would reuse it.
An 1879 English medical report blamed a cholera outbreak on the reuse of glassware, and fear of tuberculosis led the city of London to ban penny licks in 1899. Some ice cream vendors, however, continued to use penny licks until they were more widely banned in the 1920s and 1930s. By that time, waffle cones had become more common, so the edible cones took over and they remain a safe, single-use container to this day.
The British ice cream market today
According to the Companies House register, there were 701 companies currently manufacturing ice cream in the UK in 2022. While some have been around for some time, such as Unilever (since 1937), the industry is expanding rapidly. 64% of all operating ice cream manufacturers have been incorporated since 2015, with 222 of those since 2020.
Artisan ice cream production in the UK is now a thriving sector, with numerous independent producers crafting unique, high-quality ice creams and sorbets. These producers often emphasise small-batch production, natural ingredients, and unusual flavour combinations, appealing to a growing consumer preference for premium, handcrafted ice cream.
Another important factor driving the UK ice cream market growth is the increasing focus on health and sustainability. There is a rising trend toward low-calorie, dairy-free, and vegan ice cream options as consumers become more health-conscious and environmentally aware. Brands are incorporating plant-based milks, such as almond, coconut and oat milk, into their ice cream recipes.
For instance, in February 2024, Magnum expanded its vegan ice cream line in the UK with the launch of Chill Blueberry Cookie sticks featuring vegan vanilla biscuit flavour ice cream and a blueberry sorbet core.
As sustainability rises up the consumer agenda, highlighting relevant credentials is a way to connect with consumers. This could be via communication of high quality British sourced ingredients or sustainability goals. Jude’s ice cream, as a certified B Corp, have cut
their carbon intensity by 31% since 2020. At the same time, they are also investing in biodiversity projects providing habitats for wildlife, improving soil conditions, providing oxygen, and fighting climate change. Based in the South Downs, they have partnered with Trees for the Downs to plant 12,000 trees in their local area.
Whether you’re thinking of a traditional vanilla cone, a plant-rich raspberry sorbet, or an artisanal chocolate gelato, there’s an ice cream for everyone.
If you are interested in the provenance or carbon footprint of your ice cream, allmanhall can help. With our sustainability dashboards, we can advise our clients on the best choice for you, your budget and the planet.