ABERDEENSHIRE ice cream maker Mackie’s of Scotland has won a new UK-wide listing for its “fastest-growing product”, with upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose.
Mackie’s, based on its family farm, said its honeycomb flavour will be available in up to 245 Waitrose outlets from June, joining its traditional real dairy ice cream in the supermarket group's freezers.
It said the new supply deal was worth an anticipated £500,000 in retail sales, noting it followed last year’s “milestone” UK-wide listing with Sainsbury’s which saw the honeycomb flavour, already readily available in Scotland, extend its reach significantly throughout England and Wales.
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Mackie’s added that this had seen sales for the product surge by more than one-third in the last 12 months to become the brand’s fastest-growing line.
It noted that, to create the flavour, the Mackie’s team hand-make honeycomb puff candy in traditional copper pots, before breaking it up and swirling the molten pieces through its real dairy ice cream, which is made using milk and cream from the herd.
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Lyndsay Mackay, senior national account manager at Mackie’s of Scotland, hailed the Waitrose deal as “a further milestone that will help create new Mackie’s fans south of the border, as well as pleasing many existing fans who have not easily been able to get their hands on honeycomb until now”.
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Mackie’s noted the new listing coincides with its achievement of its highest-ever market share in the premium ice cream sector in England and Wales.
It added: “Last year, to achieve this, the brand saw an increase of half a million customers across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, adding to its significant existing share in Scotland, where it occupies 21% of the premium take home ice cream market.”
Ms Mackay said: “The success of our traditional real dairy ice cream over the past three decades has been brilliant. Our Scottish consumers have long been able to enjoy our wide range of fantastic flavours, and we’re so excited about this new listing giving consumers in England and Wales an opportunity to discover more of Mackie’s. That change is now well under way. This Waitrose listing for honeycomb comes after last year’s similar listing with Sainsbury’s, making our honeycomb easier than ever for consumers to get their hands on it across Great Britain.”
He added: “It’s no surprise to us that with this increased availability the flavour is really taking off. It’s that moment of luxury and proper quality at a price point that we are working very hard to keep as affordable as possible.”
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