Farmers looking to break into the booming ice cream market are being urged to attend the industry’s major expo to gain an inside track on setting up a successful business.
Strong consumer demand combined with significant bulk sales opportunities with supermarkets looking for regional produce has created a buoyant market.
Overall the ice cream sector is estimated to be worth £1.3bn to the UK economy with sales of quality farm produced ice cream continuing to be in big demand.
Now farmers are being invited to attend The Ice Cream Expo, organised by The Ice Cream Alliance, which is being held at the Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate between November 1-3.
Ice cream manufacturing has become a popular route for hard pressed dairy farmers looking for higher yields from their milk.
And according to Zelica Carr - Chief Executive Officer for the Ice Cream Alliance - the public can’t get enough of farmer’s high quality ice creams.
"There continues to be a tremendous demand for high quality ice creams and dairy farmers have been quick to respond to this demand," said Mrs Carr.
"More than 75 per cent of new members joining the Alliance in recent years are farmers and the vast majority have been very successful.
"There is still plenty of scope to diversify and the Ice Cream Alliance will provide lots of information and advice to farmers who are considering investing in ice cream production."
Mrs Carr said exhibitor bookings were up on previous years as suppliers lined up to showcase their new products.
"The expo is the biggest of its kind and we would expect millions of pounds worth of business will be generated from this event.
"The ice cream industry is in good shape in spite of the recession with new ice cream manufacturers continuing to enter the market.
"Demand for quality ice cream continues to be strong amongst consumers and we are also advising major retailers who are keen to feature regional ice creams in their stores.
"The expo will be attracting key decision makers in the industry who are keen to take advantage of the latest innovations in manufacturing techniques and retail strategy.
"Visitors to the show represent a large portion of the available spend within the industry including machinery manufacturers, static and mobile retailing and food service operators.
"Anyone who is in the ice cream business or thinking of diversifying into it needs to be at this exhibition."
