Warmer weather boosts sales of lollies at ice cream manufacturer Froneri

ICE CREAM manufacturer Froneri UK has reported a 16 per cent rise in sales so far this year, boosted by a buoyant winter and the popularity of lollies.

The company, created last year in a joint venture between food giant Nestlé and R&R Ice Cream, has the licence to produce the Nestlé and Cadbury brands and owns Kelly’s of Cornwall.

The firm has seen Nestlé sales grow by more than 32 per cent, Cadbury’s by more than 33 per cent and Kelly’s by more than 17 per cent.

Charlotte Hambling, Froneri’s UK head of marketing, said: “Sales remained buoyant throughout autumn and winter last year and so we started the 2017 peak selling season in a strong position.

“Revenues in the first half of this year were 22 per cent up on 2016 with volumes also showing a 15 per cent increase.

“Lollies, in particular, are showing strong growth due in part to the warmer weather in the spring and early summer and also by the fact they are seen as an enjoyable and permissible treat for the family.”

One of Froneri’s best selling new products was a special limited edition version of the Fab lolly to celebrate its 50th birthday.

The development of Rowntrees Froots, a circular lolly which contain 25 per cent fruit juice, also added £1.1m in sales to the Rowntrees brand.

Sales of Froneri’s Rowntrees branded lollies grew 48 per cent, ahead of the lollies sector.

The fab and Rowntrees Fruit Pastilles products are produced at Froneri’s Leeming Bar factory in North Yorkshire, which is the world’s second largest ice cream manufacturing site with 22 production lines making some 250 million litres of ice cream a year and with a workforce of more than 800 at peak production times.

The Leeming Bar site also now has responsibility for assisting in developing new Cadbury ice cream products in Froneri markets around the world.