Ice cream prices skyrocket – but which has gone up the most?

Popular ice creams have jumped in price by up to 38% in the past two years, a consumer group has found.

The biggest price increase Which? discovered was on a six pack of Cornetto strawberry ice cream cones, which rose from £2.57 to £3.55, an increase of 38% between 2022 and 2024, while a six pack of Cornetto Classico cones increased by 35% from £2.57 to £3.48.

A three pack of Solero Exotic ice cream lollies also saw a 35% price increase from £2.03 to £2.75, a four pack of Feast chocolate ice creams jumped by 28% from £2.42 to £3.11, and a six pack of Fab strawberry fruity lollies rose by 23% from £1.97 to £2.43.

Consumers buying Rowntree’s products have seen a four pack of Fruit Pastilles lollies increase from £2 to £2.43, and a four pack of the brand’s watermelon lollies rise from £2.03 to £2.47, or 21%.

However a three pack of Magnum’s double gold caramel billionaire has fallen in price from £3.72 to £3.63, or by 2%.

Which? compared ice cream costs at the UK’s biggest supermarkets in the two months to July 8 2024 with the same period two years earlier.

All prices were averages across the major supermarkets where they were available for the two-month period in each year and include regular discounts but not multibuys or loyalty prices.

Unilever owns the Cornetto, Feast, Solero and Magnum brands while Nestle owns the Rowntree’s and Fab brands.

Rising prices in raw ingredients such as milk and sugar, combined with high energy and transportation costs, have contributed to price increases.

Overall grocery price inflation currently stands at 1.6%, according to analysts Kantar.

A blind taste test carried out by consumers for Which? to see how supermarket brands fared against Cornetto and Solero found Aldi’s Gianni’s Tropico Exotic Fruit Lollies (£1.35 for three) scored 76%, which was higher overall compared to Solero.

Solero did however score relatively well overall with 70% but the panel found the aroma less appealing compared to other supermarket ice creams.

For the strawberry ice cream cone tests, Asda, Lidl and Morrisons tied with a top score of 77%.

Asda’s Strawberry Ice Cream Cones costing £1.99 for six, Lidl’s Bon Gelati Ice Cream Cones also priced at £1.99 for six, and Morrisons’ Strawberry Ice Cream Cones costing £1.50 for four were the most “satisfying and tasty”, the test found.

Which? Retail editor Ele Clark said: “Few of us can resist an ice cream on a hot summer’s day, but the price hikes our research has revealed could leave ice cream lovers feeling cold.

“Thankfully, Which?’s tests have unearthed some own-brand supermarket alternatives that taste better and cost less than their big-brand rivals.”

Unilever said: “We are committed to using the highest-quality ingredients for our ice cream products and regularly review our ranges to ensure we continue to offer choice, superior quality and value to our shoppers by offering a range of product sizes to suit different shoppers’ preferences, needs and budgets.

“The retail price of our products is always at the sole discretion of the retailer and we, like all manufacturers, only provide a recommended retail price.”