Scottish ice cream maker has 1.5 million reasons to cheer as sun shines

The spring sunshine has helped a Scottish ice cream maker notch up its best-ever monthly sales.

New figures reveal that last month Mackie’s of Scotland sold 1,564,837 litres of ice cream, making it the company's most successful month on record and surpassing the previous monthly total of 1,534,746 litres, achieved during the UK’s hottest June in 2023.

The record-breaking achievement came after the UK experienced unseasonably warm temperatures, with Scotland recording average highs of 19°C in the latter part of April - up on the 14°C average during the same period last year. The UK as a whole has seen temperatures rise and the sun shine, creating perfect conditions for ice cream consumption nationwide.

Mackie’s has been helped by distribution gains, including for its raspberry ripple ice cream flavour.

As well as the favourable weather conditions, Mackie’s has been helped by distribution gains, with its raspberry ripple flavour making its debut in 255 Sainsbury’s Local stores last month, and the most widely distributed raspberry ripple product at the supermarket chain. The Aberdeenshire ice cream brand’s larger two-litre traditional flavour tubs have also seen gains in Tesco and Morrisons.

Will Dixon, Mackie’s head of sales, said: “The weather last spring and summer was wet and windy, and this April’s sunshine has given the UK a taste of brighter days to come, which they were clearly more than ready to enjoy with a bowl of ice cream.

“April’s record sales have been given a boost by the brilliant weather, but ultimately the numbers are testament to our ice cream being chosen again and again by our loyal customers for its quality.”

The firm’s recent sales success has seen it become the fourth most popular premium ice cream brand in the UK, retaining its spot as Scotland’s best-selling, according to industry data. Over the past year, Mackie’s ice cream was purchased by around 25 per cent of households in Scotland, and 8 per cent (up from 6 per cent) of all UK households, the Kantar WorldPanel figures show.

The company produces all of its ice cream using fresh milk and cream on its fifth-generation family dairy farm, Westertown, near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire.