If you were lucky enough to attend the Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show last month in Harrogate, then you were witness to the emergence of many new trends currently sweeping the industry.
One trend that has been on the horizon for some time now (and one that is quite frankly a classic), is tropical ice cream flavours.
Why are we so obsessed with a taste of tropical?
In lieu of actual tropical weather in the UK, tropical flavours bring us a taste and feeling of a tropical island, all from the comfort of your shop or stand.
Fruity flavours have always been a hit with consumers. Whether rippled through your base, served as a sorbet, used as decoration or even served as a full fruit flavour, there are countless options available for you to capitalise on this trend and catch the eye of your customers this season.
Don’t just take my word for it! Research has found that desserts and sweets in the US that feature tropical flavours grew by an astounding 156% between 2016 and 2020, not a figure to ignore!
Bringing the tropics to your ice cream
We are all likely well-versed in the flavours that translate to a tropical taste. Pineapple, passion fruit, coconut and even dragon fruit take our taste buds to a far-off destination, but mango is one of the real heroes in the tropical stakes, particularly Alphonso mangos.
Hailing from India, the Alphonso mango is renowned for its highly unique taste, aroma and quality. Its flavour has been described as a cross between a nectarine, peach, apricot, melon, with a hint of honey. Served in high-end restaurants across the world, this fruit was even imported for the Queen’s Coronation back in 1953, and now it should be making its way into your ice cream cabinet.
Of course, when it comes to incorporating these flavours into your cabinet, many jump straight to a sorbet. And whilst this is a great choice, they work tremendously well in ice creams also. It’s important to keep the fat content of your ice cream base low, to ensure that the zest of your chosen fruit really shines through.
When it comes to choosing your flavour combinations the options are vast, but don’t forget your customers are looking for something striking, tasty and ultimately unique, so go wild with your combinations. Why not include real fruit pieces to get that all-important texture in your ice cream as well as flavour? Or opt for a personal favourite of mine, who doesn’t love that creamy, classical pina colada flavour by rippling mango and pineapple over a creamy base (hold the rum of course!)?
If you want to offer a summery flavour a little closer to home, you could even go for a classic blackcurrant flavour, giving you not only the delicious flavour but also the strong colour to draw in your customers.
Dressing your tropical flavours
If you saw the Antonelli cabinet at the Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show, then you know that I am a huge fan of dressing ice cream. It’s eye-catching, it’s bold and, most importantly, it draws in a crowd.
Don’t be afraid to dress with the actual fruit. Whether you want to showcase your rippling skills with a colourful fruit through your base or to utilise the distinctive look of dragon fruit or passionfruit, you can really play on that tropical feeling with your ice cream dressing.
Where to showcase your tropical flavours?
My last article discussed the importance of managing the cabinet effectively to ensure your ice creams are served perfectly every time. The importance of doing this is never more so than when working with fruity ice creams as they tend to be softer in texture.
Keep your tropical ice creams towards the centre of the cabinet, not at the corners, as this will be the coldest part of your display and therefore ideal for serving the perfect consistency to your customers.
If you’re looking for tropical inspiration or want to capitalise on further industry trends this season, don’t hesitate to contact me.
See you next time for the latest scoop!
Jonny