Sweet pro ts - ice cream

Sweetpro£its

With the summer months upon us comes the peak time for ice cream and a chance to boost sales.

HELP FOR OPERATORS

Via its Soft Serve Consultancy and Gelato University training courses, the team at Carpigiani say that they have developed a complete format using four key pillars associated with soft serve and soft serve desserts. This process takes operators through each of the key steps from choosing a machine to recipe development, operational management and help in bringing a business to realise optimum sales and pro t from the process.

“For dine in or takeaway, soft serve and gelato are an easy way to boost sales, increase pro t and serve up some social media shares,” says Paul Ingram, managing director at Carpigiani UK.

“As simple as a plug and play soft serve machine delivering delicious cones/ tubs of soft serve to customers on a summer’s day, to a totally ‘Instagram-able’, colourful, playful and vibrant creation with toppings, candy oss and amazing shaped soft serve, Carpigiani understands the complete spectrum of gelato, frozen yoghurt and soft serve, from recipe development to operational management and pro t realisation.

“Having Carpigiani’s team on hand can help with recipes, and choosing the best format for a business, saves time as a business can utilise Carpigiani’s wealth of knowledge and experience. Should you choose a UHT mix for ready to go, a powder mix to be mixed with milk, water or milk alternative, or a freshly made recipe for a bespoke signature artisanal mix, quality, consistency and avour pro le are key to o ering a mouth-watering selection of freshly made frozen products. It’s also relatively easy to use popular ingredients such as plant-based milks to make interesting and unusual avours.

“Plant-based desserts are a great promotional tool for an operator to leverage in their local marketing. We’ve also been using some unique ingredients to create standout in the marketplace. For example, ube - a purple yam originally from the Philippines and that’s sweet and creamy with its beautiful purple hue - tastes amazing in gelato and is one ingredient we expect to see more of.

“We are seeing a continued trend towards using local ingredients and really using this relationship to promote the nal gelato or soft serve to customers. It can create a point of di erence and also justify a higher price point.

“Sugar is still on the radar and recipe development with monk fruit is proving quite successful; watch this space. A shift

ZESTY LAUNCH

New Forest Ice Cream have announced the launch of their new Lemon Shortcake ice cream. Made with whole milk and double cream, and with a zesty lemon ripple and shortcake pieces throughout, the new avour makes for the perfect serve either on its own or paired with a scrumptious dessert, suggest the company.

For chefs wanting to get creative, why not try making the ultimate ice cream sandwich – a smooth, thick layer of the lemon ice cream spread between two cookies, or a chunky scoop placed within a rich brioche bun to add an exotic twist on popular family favourites? Alternatively, use as a base to a milk shake, or serve alongside a lemon meringue pie as a refreshing extra, add the company.

Available in two tub sizes - 4 litres and 4.75 litres – it is suitable for vegetarians and made in a nut free environment, so can be enjoyed worry free (New Forest Ice Cream also not using any preservatives, arti cial colours or arti cial avourings in their products). format for a business, saves time as a business can utilise Carpigiani’s wealth of knowledge and experience. Should you choose a UHT mix for be mixed with milk, water or milk

from healthy food to food with health bene ts has seen a raft of new ingredients come to the fore and we’re seeing forti ed food and drink products as well as a boost in the usage of the fruit and vegetables that contain some of these bene ts in abundance.”

“When it comes to deciding which ice cream machine to invest in, the type and quantity of ice cream that an operator wishes to serve must be considered,” says Jason Sanderson, Icetro brand champion at Jestic Foodservice Solutions, who o er complimentary menu development sessions to their Icetro customers, meaning caterers can test and try some impressive soft serve options before adding them to their menu.

“For example, an Italian takeaway house that is looking to add soft serve cones to the menu would suit the Icetro 271. At just 380mm wide, this high output soft ice cream machine that can pack a serious punch in a compact space and can even produce up to 20 consecutive cones and has an output of 27kg an hour. Easy to maintain and clean, the Icetro 271 has a built in self pasteurising function whilst its hopper agitator circulates the ice cream mix for even temperature maintenance and improved product consistency.

“For an Italian restaurant wanting to o er more than one avour of luxurious soft serve ice cream or on-trend frozen yoghurt, then the Icetro 163 ticks the boxes as it can mix and dispense two delicious avours from a single machine. Also featuring a twist function, this machine also allows operators to dispense a single portion with both avours, giving a menu a real point of di erence and extra nesse.

“No matter the Icetro model chosen, operators have the bene t of a comprehensive two year warranty on all major parts and the support of Jestic’s experienced team every step of the way – from delivery, set up through to product training.”

RECOGNITION FOR A LOCAL PRODUCER

Minolis of Machen were crowned National Champions at the ice cream ‘Oscars’ - the National Ice Cream Competition. This former dairy farming family has won this, the most coveted prize in the ice cream industry, for the fourth time (their ice cream being served in their adjacent Basil & Rusty’s ice cream parlour and café based on the same farm - Gellwasted Farm, Machen, just outside Caerphilly in Wales).

“We are absolutely delighted to win this award,” said Geraint Richards, chief ice cream creator for Minolis, and co-owner with his wife Emma of the adjacent Basil & Rusty’s parlour who made the award-winning ice cream. “Our success is all down to my late dad, Lewis, who created this recipe that we still use today and my mum, Sue, who with a little help from us has carried on this award-winning ice cream making business after my dad passed away in 2017.

“Our retail arm - Basil and Rusty’s - is a family run ice cream parlour set in beautiful countryside, serving delicious ice cream desserts and gourmet co ee in a very relaxed friendly atmosphere. My mum is an integral part of our business as well. A fair description of the business dynamic is that Emma and Sue are the engine and ensure the essential work is done. I make the ice cream and talk a lot. And our kids Tess (9), Ted and Belle (both 7) are the chief tasters!”

The ice cream made under the Minolis of Machen brand is only available at the Basil and Rustys parlour and café, and at the annual Royal Welsh Show on the Minolis of Machen stand under the grandstand.

The parlour sells the original seven classic avours Minolis created - Dairy Vanilla,Wild Strawberry, Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, Dairy To ee, Rum and Raisin, Dairy Co ee - but keep these up to date by creating special sundaes with high quality sauces and toppings to give di erent avour combinations.

Their new Lemon Crunch ice cream won a Diploma of Merit at the same competition, the milk and cream used in their ice cream coming from a small, local family business as they aim to keep supply chains as local as possible by supporting small producers (Basil and Rusty’s say that they will also start serving pizzas this summer).

The National Ice Cream Competition is the ‘Oscars’ of the ice cream awards held every year by the Ice Cream Alliance (ICA), the UK trade association for the ice cream industry. Hundreds of products are submitted across thirteen categories ranging from Best Vanilla to ‘Alternative’ category products which includes those free from the top 14 allergens, dairy-free, low-fat, high-protein, no-sugar, and others. Submissions are judged blind by ice cream experts, making the results the most prestigious in the country.

“Congratulations to Geraint, Emma and Sue,” said Zelica Carr, ICA CEO. “The ice cream sector has had a challenging time over the last two years. This family show that the sector has overcome these challenges and has bounced back better than ever for 2022 and the future.”

The National Ice Cream Competition has been running for 77 years and bestows a badge of quality and excellence on all those that win. It was judged by 43 experts over two days at the Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show 2022.