Category: Uncategorized

Some flavours never really go away. They just wait for the right moment to come back. In 2026, that moment belongs to nostalgia, and few flavours capture it quite like apple pie crumble.

The rise of “newstalgia”

Comfort food has always done well when budgets are tight, but this year the trend has a name: newstalgia. It describes a wave of retro desserts, from apple pie and treacle sponge to Black Forest gateau, being brought back into the frozen aisle and reworked for a modern audience. Shoppers get the familiar comfort of a classic pudding, but presented with the kind of texture and quality they now expect from a premium gelato or sorbet.

Fruit and custard crumble profiles in particular have become a clear favourite within this trend, tapping into memories of Sunday dinners and school puddings while still feeling like a genuine treat rather than a straight copy of the original.

Why apple pie crumble works so well as a gelato

Apple pie crumble hits a sweet spot that few other flavours manage. It is instantly recognisable, which makes it an easy sell at point of sale, while the combination of textures involved, spiced apple, buttery crumble, a hint of custard, gives gelato makers plenty of scope to create something layered and interesting rather than one-note.

It also travels well across channels. The same flavour that works as a tub on a supermarket shelf can just as easily anchor a scoop counter offering or a limited edition seasonal listing, making it a flexible addition to a range built around both everyday sales and moments of indulgence.

Bringing it to life at Dairy Den

Apple Pie Crumble Gelato takes that classic combination and builds it properly into the gelato itself: real spiced apple running through a rich, creamy base, finished with a genuine crumble texture rather than a flavouring shortcut. It is the kind of flavour that makes people smile before they have even tasted it, because the memory does half the work.

For retailers and foodservice buyers, it is a flavour that sells itself on familiarity while still standing out as something worth trying again. For shoppers, it is a spoonful of nostalgia done properly.

Get in touch with the Dairy Den team to find out more about Apple Pie Crumble Gelato and the rest of the seasonal range.

If you’ve got your own nostalgic idea, talk to the team. We love working together to create the perfect small batch (or large batch) gelato. No enquiry is too small, we rise to the coolest of challenges and meet you with enthusiasm and creative solutions. Based in the UK our site is set up and ready to make your gelato or sorbet vision become a reality.

Two New Flavours, Two Very Different Moods

Every season, the Dairy Den team gets to work developing new flavours to expand our range, test ideas, and see what could become a future core classic. Our latest NPD launch is a perfect example of that process in action: two brand new flavours that couldn’t be more different from each other, yet both born from the same commitment to bold, well-crafted taste.

Say hello to Watermelon Sorbet and Raspberry & Coconut Cheesecake Gelato.

Watermelon Sorbet: Pure Summer Refreshment

Watermelon is one of the most requested fruit flavours of the year, and for good reason. It’s light, hydrating and instantly evocative of summer. Our Watermelon Sorbet has been developed to capture that same vibrant, thirst-quenching character in every scoop: real fruit, a clean finish, and none of the heaviness that can sometimes come with fruit-based frozen desserts.

Being dairy-free and vegan, it’s also a flavour that opens up the menu to a wider range of customers without compromising on flavour intensity. It’s a natural fit for hot weather trading, and pairs brilliantly alongside our other fruit-forward sorbets for anyone building a summer-ready range.

Raspberry & Coconut Cheesecake Gelato: Indulgence, Reimagined

On the other end of the spectrum sits Raspberry & Coconut Cheesecake Gelato, a rich, creamy gelato built around the classic combination of tart raspberry and smooth cheesecake, finished with a coconut twist that gives it a slightly more tropical, distinctive edge.

This one’s for customers looking for indulgence. It takes a familiar, much-loved dessert flavour profile and gives it something a little unexpected, making it a strong option for anyone wanting to stand out on a menu or freezer shelf that’s already crowded with the usual raspberry ripple and vanilla options.

Why NPD Matters

New flavours like these aren’t just about keeping the range fresh, though that matters too. They’re part of how Dairy Den stays ahead of what customers actually want. Every new launch is a chance to test appetite for new flavour directions, respond to what’s trending, and build toward the next core classic that could sit alongside our best-sellers for years to come.

It’s also a genuinely collaborative process. If you’ve got an idea for a flavour you think could work, or a gap you can see in your own range that a bespoke gelato or sorbet could fill, that’s exactly the kind of conversation our team loves to have.

The Takeaway

Watermelon Sorbet and Raspberry & Coconut Cheesecake Gelato show two sides of what Dairy Den does best: light, refreshing fruit flavours and rich, indulgent classics with a twist. Both are available now as part of our expanding 2026 range.

Want to try our latest NPD flavours, or talk to us about a bespoke flavour idea of your own? Talk to our team today.

Another Summer, Another Heatwave

The UK has already seen multiple heatwaves in 2026, with temperatures climbing into the low-to-mid 30s across parts of the country and heat-health alerts issued more than once this year. For anyone in frozen desserts, the pattern is familiar by now: when the mercury rises, so does demand. Freezers empty faster, delivery schedules tighten, and popular lines can sell out well before the next restock.

This isn’t a one-off. It’s becoming the new normal for UK summers, which means supply resilience isn’t just a “nice to have” anymore. It’s a real commercial consideration.

When Demand Spikes, Supply Gets Squeezed

Here’s the pattern most retailers, wholesalers and foodservice buyers know all too well: the hotter it gets, the harder it becomes to keep up. Established suppliers can hit capacity limits exactly when you need them most, lead times stretch, and popular flavours run short right in the middle of your busiest trading window.

The smart move isn’t to wait until you’re caught out. It’s to have a conversation with an alternative supplier before the pressure hits, so that if your usual source can’t meet demand, you already know exactly who else you can call, what they can offer, and how quickly they can move.

Why Talk to Dairy Den

This is exactly the gap Dairy Den is built to fill. A few things set us apart when the heat is on:

Creativity. We’re not just producing the same handful of classic flavours. Our team is constantly developing new gelato and sorbet ideas, from seasonal specials to flavour trends as they emerge, so you’re never limited to a generic range.

Flexibility. As a small-batch producer, we can move faster and adapt more readily than large-scale operators. Need a different pack size, a bespoke flavour, or a shorter lead time? We’re set up to have that conversation, not just say no.

Small-batch quality. Producing in smaller runs means tighter quality control and fresher product, without the compromises that come with mass production. It also means we can be nimble when demand shifts quickly, which is exactly what a heatwave summer demands.

A Backup Supplier Is a Business Decision, Not a Backup Plan

It’s worth reframing how alternative suppliers get thought about. Having a second option lined up isn’t an admission that your main supplier isn’t good enough, it’s simply good supply chain practice. Markets get tight, weather is unpredictable, and demand spikes don’t always give much warning.

The businesses that come through a heatwave summer smoothly are usually the ones who had already had the conversation before they needed it, not the ones scrambling for stock when the shelves are already bare.

The Takeaway

With the UK now regularly seeing multiple heatwaves each summer, ice cream and gelato demand spikes aren’t going away. If your current supply chain has ever felt stretched during a hot spell, now, before the next heatwave hits, is the ideal time to explore your options.

Dairy Den offers the creativity, flexibility and small-batch quality to be that alternative supplier: ready to talk, ready to adapt, and ready to help you keep freezers full when it matters most.

Want to explore what Dairy Den could offer as part of your supply chain? Talk to our team today.

What Is “Fricy”?

If you’ve scrolled through food TikTok this summer, you’ve probably seen the word “fricy” everywhere. It’s a portmanteau of fruity and spicy, and it’s being called 2026’s defining flavour trend: the natural successor to 2025’s “swicy” (sweet and spicy) wave.

Fricy pairs the natural sweetness of fruit, think mango, watermelon, pineapple and passion fruit, with a hit of chilli heat. It’s not actually new: it draws on food traditions that have been doing this for generations, from Mexican chamoy and dulces enchilados to Thai fruit dipped in chilli-salt, and Indian fruit chaat. What’s changed is that social media has pushed it firmly into the mainstream, and it’s now showing up everywhere from cocktails and sauces to ice cream and confectionery.

Dairy Den Was Already There: Meet Spicy Guava Sorbet

While other brands are scrambling to launch fricy products this year, Dairy Den didn’t need to invent anything new. Our Spicy Guava Sorbet has been quietly delivering exactly this flavour combination: the tropical sweetness of ripe guava, balanced with a genuine chilli kick.

It’s a great example of how good gelato and sorbet making has always chased bold, contrasting flavours, long before “fricy” had a name. If you’re a stockist or retailer looking to ride this trend without waiting on new product development, this is the flavour to put front and centre right now.

Build Your Own Fricy Moment

Beyond Spicy Guava, a couple of our other sorbets lend themselves perfectly to fricy-style serving ideas:

• Watermelon Sorbet: serve with a light dusting of chilli salt or a drizzle of tajín-style seasoning for an instant fricy twist.
• Mango Sorbet: pair with a fresh chilli garnish or a chamoy-style drizzle for that classic Mexican-inspired sweet-heat combination.

These pairings are simple enough for menus, scoop shops, or even at-home serving suggestions, and they tap directly into what consumers are already searching for.

Why This Matters Beyond the Trend

Flavour science backs up why fricy works so well: the interplay of aroma, sweetness and heat creates a more intense, memorable eating experience than sweetness alone. That’s not a fad, it’s a genuine sensory reason this combination keeps reappearing across cuisines and generations.

For Dairy Den, that means Spicy Guava Sorbet isn’t just “on trend.” It’s a flavour built on the same principles driving fricy’s popularity, which gives it staying power well beyond a single summer.

The Takeaway

“Fricy” might be a new word, but the flavour instinct behind it is timeless, and Dairy Den’s range already has a genuine answer to it. Whether you’re a retailer looking for a trend-led product to stock, or a gelato lover looking for your next scoop, Spicy Guava Sorbet is the place to start.

Want to explore Dairy Den’s full range, including our latest 2026 flavours? Talk to our team today.

Gelato in a tub is great. Gelato in a cone is a classic. But the real magic happens when gelato meets bakery. The combination of crunch and smooth, warm and cold, pastry and cream is creating some of the most talked-about dessert formats in the UK right now, and TikTok is driving it at a pace that operators can’t afford to ignore.

The trends are impossible to miss

Loaded desserts are dominating social media. Waffles piled high with gelato. Pancake stacks dripping with sauce and scoops. Crombolonis oozing with cream and topped with artisan gelato. Engagement on this type of content is up 30-40% year on year on TikTok, and it’s not slowing down.

These aren’t just pretty videos. They’re driving real footfall. When a customer sees a gelato-stuffed croissant on their feed, they don’t just like it. They go and find it. And if your business is the one serving it, you’ve just turned a piece of pastry into a destination dessert.

The formats that are winning right now

The Suprême / Cromboloni:  The New York-style croissant (often called a Suprême or Cromboloni) has become one of the most viral bakery items of the past two years. Hollow it out or split it open, fill it with a scoop of quality gelato, and you’ve created a premium dessert that looks spectacular and tastes even better. Even a standard croissant, hollowed out and filled with gelato, delivers the same wow factor at a fraction of the effort.

The Cookie Sandwich Press: Two warm cookies pressed around a generous scoop of gelato. It’s simple, it’s indulgent, and with over 150 million views on TikTok under the “gelato burger” and cookie sandwich tags, it’s one of the most searched dessert formats on social media right now. The contrast of warm, chewy cookie and cold, creamy gelato is the sensory experience customers are actively seeking out.

The Affogato Upgrade: The classic affogato (a shot of espresso over a scoop of gelato) has racked up over 450 million views on TikTok. It’s the easiest upsell in hospitality. One scoop, one espresso, served in a glass. It takes 30 seconds to make, it upsells your coffee sales, and it looks premium enough to command a dessert-level price point. Yet most operators still don’t offer one.

Why this combination works so well

The bakery-gelato synergy works because it delivers something customers can’t get at home. The crunch of a freshly baked pastry combined with the smooth, dense, flavour-intense quality of artisan gelato creates a sensory experience that photographs beautifully and tastes incredible. It’s the kind of moment customers want to share, and that’s the point.

Every time a customer photographs your gelato croissant or tags your business in a cookie sandwich video, that’s free organic marketing. Not paid ads. Not influencer partnerships. Just genuinely great product that people want to show off. In a market where social media drives discovery and footfall, a photogenic dessert offering isn’t a bonus. It’s a commercial strategy.

Low effort, high reward

The beauty of these formats is that they don’t require a pastry chef or a complicated dessert menu. If you’ve got bakery products and a freezer, you’ve got everything you need. Gelato is a “scoop and serve” product. Pair it with a warm croissant, a freshly pressed cookie, or a shot of espresso and you’ve created a premium, high-margin menu item in minutes.

No specialist equipment. No additional training. Just quality gelato doing the heavy lifting while your bakery products provide the theatre.

Make it work for your business

At Dairy Den, our artisan gelato is crafted to pair perfectly with bakery. The dense, creamy texture holds its shape beautifully against warm pastry, the intense flavour profiles stand up to rich, buttery croissants and cookies, and the range of flavours (from pistachio to salted caramel to seasonal specials) gives operators endless pairing possibilities.

Whether you’re a café looking to boost your afternoon trade, a bakery wanting to add a premium dessert offering, or a foodservice operator building a menu that earns its place on social media, we can help.

Get in touch at hello@dairyden.co.uk or call +44(0)208 683 2423 to talk about how Dairy Den gelato can work alongside your bakery range.

Most hospitality operators know when their busy periods are. The morning coffee rush. The lunchtime grab-and-go window. But what happens after 2pm? For many businesses, footfall drops, average spend falls, and the afternoon and evening become missed opportunities.

Gelato changes that.

Extending your trading day

A quality gelato range allows operators to upsell into the afternoon and evening indulgence occasions that many businesses are currently leaving on the table. The morning and lunchtime trade will always be important, but the real incremental growth comes from giving customers a reason to visit, stay longer, or spend more during the quieter parts of the day.

Here are three ways gelato can do that:

The Afternoon Pick-Me-Up: A premium brioche-gelato sandwich is the kind of indulgent, affordable treat that turns a quiet afternoon into a sales opportunity. Customers who might not come in for a coffee alone will come in for a coffee and a gelato brioche. It’s an upsell that feels like a treat, not a transaction.

The Evening Dessert: Gelato positioned as the finishing touch to tarts, pies, and pastries transforms a simple bakery item into a premium dessert offering. A warm tart with a scoop of artisan gelato commands a higher price point and gives customers a reason to choose you over the competition for their evening treat.

The Anytime Affogato: One scoop of gelato, one shot of espresso, and you’ve created a premium menu item that upsells your coffee sales at the same time. It’s simple, it’s creative, and it works at any time of day. The affogato is one of the easiest wins in hospitality and yet so few operators offer one.

Superior margins, minimal labour

Here’s where gelato really earns its place on your menu. When combined with your existing bakery or patisserie range, gelato is a high-margin, “thaw and serve” or “scoop and serve” luxury. No pastry chef required. No complex prep. No specialist skills. Just consistent, premium quality from every scoop.

It provides a genuine “wow factor” dessert without the need for a pastry chef on-site. For operators running lean teams, that’s a significant advantage. Your customers get a premium experience. Your kitchen gets simplicity.

And because gelato traditionally commands a higher price point than standard ice cream, thanks to its lower air content and denser, more intense flavour profile, the margin opportunity is real. Customers understand and accept that gelato is premium, and they’re happy to pay accordingly.

The marketing that does itself

There’s one more benefit that’s easy to overlook. A beautifully presented gelato brioche, a perfectly scooped affogato, or a warm tart with a melting scoop of pistachio gelato on a slate board is exactly the kind of content your customers want to photograph and share. Gelato combined with your bakery products is inherently Instagrammable, leading to free organic marketing from your customers, for your customers.

In a world where social media drives footfall, a photogenic dessert menu isn’t a luxury. It’s a strategy.

Make gelato work for your business

At Dairy Den, we work with food wholesalers and hospitality operators to build a gelato range that fits their menu, their customers, and their trading day. Whether it’s a scoop-and-serve offering, a gelato-and-bakery pairing, or a bespoke flavour developed for your brand, we can help you turn your quietest hours into your most profitable ones.

Get in touch at hello@dairyden.co.uk or call +44(0)208 683 2423 to find out more.

The frozen dessert landscape is shifting, and it’s shifting fast. Consumers are moving away from generic ice cream towards high-value, branded experiences that feel special, continental, and justifiably premium. For operators and retailers with gelato on their menu or in their freezer, the data says you’re in exactly the right place.

The market is surging

According to The Grocer (January/February 2026), consumer spend across frozen desserts is growing across every key segment, and gelato is leading the charge.

Gelato is currently meeting all consumer demands. It feels special. It feels continental. And critically, it feels justifiably premium, which means customers are happy to pay more for it. In a market where value perception is everything, gelato delivers an experience that standard ice cream simply can’t match.

The numbers that matter

The data from The Grocer paints a clear picture of where the growth is:

Small tubs represent the highest valued segment in tubbed ice cream, now worth £255.9m with a 14.9% value increase. This is significant for operators and retailers alike. Consumers are choosing smaller, more premium portions over larger, cheaper tubs. Quality over quantity.

Retail brand value is growing at 11.2%, significantly outperforming own-label growth of 5.5%. This tells us that customers are actively seeking out brands they trust when it comes to premium frozen desserts. They want a name they recognise, a product they can rely on, and an experience that feels worth it.

The handheld ice cream sector has reached a massive £1.1bn valuation, while the broader dessert ice cream category is worth £577m. These are not niche numbers. This is a mainstream market with serious scale, and premium is driving the growth.

What this means for your business

The message from the market is clear. Consumers want premium. They want quality they can taste. They want products that feel like an indulgence, not an afterthought.

Gelato sits perfectly in that sweet spot. It delivers the rich, creamy, flavour-forward experience that consumers are willing to pay a premium for, whether that’s a scoop served in a restaurant, a tub on a retail shelf, or a plant-based option that doesn’t compromise on taste.

At Dairy Den, this is exactly what we do. Every batch of our artisan gelato is crafted with fresh milk and cream, our sorbets are made with real fruit, and our award-winning plant-based pistachio gelato proes that dairy-free doesn’t mean flavour-free.

We innovate, we create, and we deliver the quality that this growing market demands.

The opportunity is now

The frozen dessert category is not just growing. It’s premiumising. Consumers are trading up, choosing quality over quantity, and actively seeking out products that deliver a genuine experience. Whether you’re an operator looking to elevate your dessert menu or a retailer looking to capitalise on the fastest-growing segments in the freezer aisle, gelato is your answer.

Want to talk about how Dairy Den can help you make the most of this opportunity? Get in touch with us at hello@dairyden.co.uk or call +44(0)208 683 2423.

Recent data from CGA by NIQ indicates a significant trend: 9 in 10 consumers order dessert when dining out. This presents a substantial opportunity for food wholesalers to capitalise on the expanding Out-Of-Home (OOH) dessert market, with gelato emerging as a key driver of consumer interest.

The Significance of the “Frequent Dessert Consumer”

This demographic, characterised by younger, higher-spending individuals who frequently visit dining establishments, represents a third of the British consumer base. Their tendency to pre-plan dessert choices, coupled with their receptiveness to visually appealing and innovative offerings, highlights a valuable target market for wholesalers.

Gelato: A Strategic Dessert Offering

Gelato’s versatility and appeal align with the key drivers influencing dessert purchases:

• Innovation:
  • Consumers are drawn to original and unique formats. Gelato’s adaptability allows for diverse flavour profiles and presentations, including novel serving methods.
  • Wholesalers can provide operators with innovative recipe suggestions, premium ingredients, and creative serving solutions.
• Authenticity:
  • A considerable portion of consumers seek authentic dessert experiences, valuing traditional preparation and origin-sourced ingredients.
  • High-quality gelato, produced using traditional methods and premium ingredients, satisfies this demand.

Opportunities for Food Wholesalers

This demand for innovative and authentic desserts, particularly gelato, presents a significant opportunity for food wholesalers:

• Offer Trend-Driven Products:
  • Partner with gelato suppliers to provide unique and trending flavours and formats.
  • Supply operators with recipe inspiration and serving suggestions to enhance social media presence.
• Emphasise Product Quality:
  • Offer premium gelato made with high-quality ingredients to meet the demand for authentic experiences.
  • Provide detailed information on the origin and production methods to highlight product authenticity.
• Provide Comprehensive Solutions:
  • Offer a range of gelato formats and serving solutions to cater to diverse venue types and customer preferences.
  • Provide training and support to operators on optimal gelato serving and presentation.
• Facilitate effective social media marketing:
  • Support clients to produce visually appealing content.

The Dairy Den Advantage

Dairy Den is committed to providing food wholesalers with high-quality gelato that meets the demands of the evolving OOH dessert market. By partnering with Dairy Den, wholesalers can leverage the growing popularity of gelato to enhance their product offerings and drive sales.

To explore our range of premium gelato and discover how we can contribute to your business growth, please contact Dairy Den.

To read the report in full click here

Each season we work to create exciting new NPD flavours to expand our range and test new flavours for future core classics.

It’s also an opportunity for the Dairy Den team to get creative! If you have an exciting and innovative gelato flavour in mind, talk to the team. We love a gelato challenge!

The buzz at the recent Propel Conference wasn’t just about industry trends and networking; it was also about the irresistible allure of premium gelato. Dairy Den, renowned for their exceptional quality and innovative flavours, partnered with dessert giants Kaspa’s Desserts to showcase a taste of pure indulgence. The collaboration proved to be a resounding success, drawing a steady stream of attendees eager to sample the fruits of their shared passion.

For Dairy Den, the Propel Conference presented a unique opportunity to connect with key players in the hospitality and food service sectors. Exhibiting alongside Kaspa’s Desserts, a household name in the dessert world, amplified their reach and demonstrated the potential of their gelato within a thriving dessert-focused business.

“We were thrilled to partner with Kaspa’s at the Propel Conference,” explained Francesco Trani, Technical Sales Manager at Dairy Den. “It was a fantastic platform to showcase the versatility and premium quality of our gelato. We’ve always believed in the power of collaboration, and this partnership perfectly illustrates that.”

The collaboration highlighted Dairy Den’s commitment to working closely with businesses to create bespoke gelato experiences. Attendees were treated to a range of flavours, from classic favourites to exciting new creations, all designed to complement Kaspa’s already extensive dessert menu. The partnership also allowed Kaspa’s to demonstrate to other businesses the benefits of adding high quality Gelato to their offerings.

The stand was a hive of activity, with delegates eager to taste the gelato and discuss potential partnerships. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the exceptional taste and texture of Dairy Den’s gelato.

“The response was incredible,” continued Francesco Trani, Dairy Den Technical Sales Manager. “We had numerous conversations with businesses interested in incorporating our gelato into their menus. The partnership with Kaspa’s provided a powerful testament to how our products can elevate a dessert offering.”

The success of the partnership at the Propel Conference underscores the growing demand for high-quality gelato in the foodservice industry. Dairy Den’s dedication to quality, innovation, and collaborative partnerships positions them as a leading supplier for businesses seeking to enhance their dessert offerings.

The partnership also highlighted the advantage of brands working together, and how the combined reach of the two companies created a much larger impression than either could have made alone. The collaboration between Dairy Den and Kaspa’s Desserts at the Propel Conference was a sweet success, leaving a lasting impression on attendees and paving the way for future partnerships.

Get in touch to find out how Dairy Den can work with your business.