Mackie's of Scotland sees berry ice cream flavours bear fruit with major sales boost

Mackie's of Scotland has seen sales of its fruit-based products nearly double on last year, resulting in a “record-breaking” summer for the Aberdeenshire-based ice cream brand.

The firm attributes the huge spike in sales of its fruity ice creams, including Strawberry Swirl, Raspberry Ripple and White Chocolate and Raspberry, to having brought its fruit-sauce production on-site. It now buys in Scottish whole fruit from Aberdeenshire’s Castleton Farm and makes all its fruit sauces and compotes itself on the family farm.

Mackie’s said it is estimated that this year alone, it has used 23.5 tonnes of Scottish fruit from Castleton Farm – already surpassing its overall totals for 2020 (3.2 tonnes) and 2021 (17.2 tonnes) combined, helping its overall summer sales grow by 8 per cent on 2021.

Sales and marketing director Stuart Common said consumers have “continued to reach for affordable luxury ice cream products for a little lift or cool down in the summer heat”.

He added: “We’re now selling more fruit-based products than ever before… This milestone also celebrates our partnership with fellow Aberdeenshire brand Castelton Farm. We’re delighted to be working collaboratively and shedding a light on some of the amazing produce coming out of the North-east.”

Mackie’s says Scotland’s temperate climate allows berries to ripen slowly, creating a particularly sweet flavour. It also says it is one of the fastest-growing ice cream brands in the UK, and has jumped from sixth to fifth place in Kantar Worldpanel’s top 30 chosen Scottish food brands.

Mr Common added: “There are a lot of exciting ideas in the pipeline for Mackie’s, and we cannot wait to share them with consumers in the near future.”