The price of popular ice-creams and lollies including Cornetto and Solero have soared by more than 30% over the past two years amid the rising cost of ingredients and energy.
Analysts at the consumer group Which? have suggested switching to supermarket own-label options that are cheaper and – their study suggests – often tastier.
The biggest price increase spotted by Which? was on a six-pack of Cornetto strawberry ice-cream cones, which rose from £2.57 to £3.55 – a 38% increase – between 2022 and 2024.
The pack costs £1.56 more – 26p a cone – than similar own-label items from Asda and Lidl that a Which? blind taste test found to be more satisfying and tasty. A four-pack of similar cones from Morrisons, which scored the same in the taste test as the Asda and Lidl versions, was priced at £1.50 – 21p a cone cheaper than the Cornetto.
Which? looked at average prices at major supermarkets in the two months to 8 July this year compared with the same period two years earlier, including regular discounts, but not multibuys or loyalty scheme offers.
A six-pack of Cornetto Classico cones increased in price by a similar amount to its strawberry equivalent – 35%, from £2.57 to £3.48 – during the same time period.
However, Cornetto was less well liked than others in Which?’s test. More than a third of testers wanted the ice-cream to be creamier, and more than a quarter said it lacked sweetness.
Costs have risen for producers – on energy, labour, transport and ingredients including milk, cocoa and sugar – meaning the average factory gate price of ice-cream has risen by 27% in the past two years, according to the Office for National Statistics.
However, the price of some brands outstripped that. A three pack of Solero Exotic ice-cream lollies rose 35% to £2.75, while a four-pack of Feast chocolate ice-creams jumped by 28% to £3.11.
The Which? blind taste test named Aldi Gianni’s Tropico exotic fruit lollies – which cost £1.35 for three – as a best buy, after they scored 76% compared with 70% for Solero.
While Cornetto and Solero are produced by Unilever, other consumer goods companies also pushed through big price rises.
A six-pack of Fab strawberry fruity lollies, made by Nestlé, increased in price by 23% to £2.43, while the price of a four-pack of its Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles lollies was up 22% to £2.43.
However, there was good news for Magnum lovers. The price of a three-pack of Magnum double gold caramel billionaires, made by Unilever, fell 2% to £3.63.
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Ele Clark, the Which? retail editor, said: “Few of us can resist an ice-cream on a hot summer’s day, but the price hikes our research has revealed could leave ice-cream lovers feeling cold.
“Thankfully, Which?’s tests have unearthed some own-brand supermarket alternatives that taste better and cost less than their big-brand rivals.”
A spokesperson for Unilever, which makes Cornetto, Feast, Magnum and Solero, said: “We are committed to using the highest-quality ingredients for our ice-cream products and regularly review our ranges to ensure we continue to offer choice, superior quality and value to our shoppers by offering a range of product sizes to suit different shopper preferences, needs and budgets.
“The retail price of our products is always at the sole discretion of the retailer and we, like all manufacturers, only provide a recommended retail price.”
A spokesperson for Froneri, the company that makes ice-cream for Nestlé brands under licence, said retail pricing was always at the discretion of individual retailers.
“Like every manufacturer, we have been experiencing significant cost increases, making it much more expensive to manufacture our products. We have been working to be more efficient and absorb increasing costs where possible. However, in order to maintain the highest standards of quality, it has sometimes been necessary to make adjustments to the price of some of our products,” they said.