With summer just around the corner, ice cream will be in full demand. But making sure the right flavours are on the menu is the trick to success.
With an enormous array of options, customers have countless choices when it comes to ice cream flavours. However, the debate on whether traditional or innovative flavours has continued to filter throughout the sector.
Andrew Cole from Charlie’s Gelato said there had been an explosion of new flavour options for ice cream and gelato in recent years. While some are a bit “out-there”, he believed in sticking to the tried and true flavours that customers will return for. However, Cole said experimenting with different styles has been popular.
“We wanted to extend the dairy-free, vegan range, so we sampled some new flavours that we eventually introduced on the menu.”
Some notable flavours were Panna Cotta with raspberry crumble, Matcha Green Tea and a coconut yoghurt gelato.
Collaborating with other producers in the Matakana area has also become a hit with local customers, such as the Bourbon and Bacon flavour, made from locally sourced ingredients.
Valentina Escobar from Patagonia Chocolates said the high quality of the ingredients and the precise amounts in the recipe create a perfect balance, resulting in the delicate flavour of our ice creams.
Escobar said that testing different combinations through years of experience has provided the right flavour. She said the Hazelnut Cremino Ice Cream has been by far the most popular, and she believed it would continue to thrive for many years.
“We don't follow trends. Our focus is on improving and maintaining the excellent quality of our ice cream and chocolates. Currently, we are working on a new ice cream flavour base in Gold Chocolate,” she added.
“We are proud as a company and proud of our ice cream team. We worked for an entire year to create and improve our Hazelnut Cremino ice cream recipe.”
Mike Kitching from Scrunchy Millers said customers have continued to line up for his Baileys flavour, and his Whiskey Cacao flavour has been a top seller. He added that another customer favourite was Pina Colada.
“Innovations in the way we make real fruit ice creams, for example, blending the real fruit ice cream with Oreos to add a chocolatey crunch that pairs perfectly with the fruit,” said Kitching.
Laura Quilt from Village Co-Op said it would be nice if a new flavour were the most popular with customers, but chocolate was still the top preference among customers of all ages.
Despite Ice Cream and Gelato being all the rage, Quilt said a lot of customers have switched to sorbet as their preference. She said this was due to it being more refreshing during the summer season. For adults, Quilt has noticed the rise of Coffee becoming one of the most popular flavours of ice cream too.
Looking ahead, Quilt said there are many new flavours that have been introduced, with the use of real fruit being a major theme. There has been a lot of trialling of ice creams using real fruit ingredients such as Strawberries and Cream, Boysenberry Ripple, and Passionfruit.
Daniela Elbehairy from Gelatiamo said there has certainly been an uprise in demand for unique flavour combinations. She said some of these include Taro, Black Sesame, Avocado and Chocolate Crumbs, Lavender Cream, Baklava, Durian, and Matcha.
She said that Gelato was a great carrier of flavours, and customers are often excited to try new combinations. Elbehairy added that the market would be Likely to see more savoury and sweet twists on offer for gelato, as well as plant-based, gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, vegan and low-fat options.
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