Ice cream is hot and how! Not only the local entrepreneurs see bread in ice cream, also the global chains opening the latest ice cream concepts here in the Netherlands have big plans. Customers are introduced to a lavish range of products in today's ice cream parlours.
Ice cream of today is allowed to be different and special. Like a hot ice cream sandwich, for example, which is on the menu at a Rotterdam ice cream parlour. Ice cream can already be between a waffle, but also between a croissant, donut or other pastry. In flavour, everything is possible: classics like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry alongside ice cream with caramel, toffee, coffee, cheese cake, carrot cake, combinations with sweet and savoury and then the toppings: with nuts, pieces of cake, chocolate, sweets, fruit. Today's ice cream should really have quality and lots of flavour and be full and creamy on top of that.
And why not as cocktail ice cream? Yes, that too is possible. Lidl recently introduced mojito, piña colada, cuba libre and strawberry daiquiri. Then Bavaria's Radler beer ice cream also comes to mind. Last year, the brewer introduced Radler Ice Lemon, now there is Radler ice cream with limoncello and Radler scoop ice cream.
Ice cream from local milk and with fruit from the local grower we also like to buy from the neighbouring dairy farm. Ice cream also comes from special milk, such as ice cream made from milk from Jersey cows. Holland Jersey Food Company, which also has yoghurt and cheese made from the milk, is now marketing the ice cream in the supermarkets of Dekamarkt and Dirk van den Broek. The milk comes from dairy farms in North Holland and Flevoland that keep Jersey cows. The milk from these cows, which originally come from the island of Jersey in southern England, naturally has a higher fat and protein content. Whole milk contains an average of 6.2 per cent and semi-skimmed milk 1.5 per cent fat. Jersey milk also contains the A2 protein.
For conscious ice cream customers
The new generation of ice cream parlours also have ice creams for the conscious customer in the display case, such as the vegan ice cream without milk or other animal products. It is a variant on the rise, as is ice cream with less fat and sugar. This corner also includes lactose-free, gluten- and sugar-free and organic ice cream with fresh high-quality organic fruit.
Koupe is also taking a conscious approach. The brand claims that its ice cream with whey proteins and fibres contains almost half as many calories, 70 per cent less sugar and three times as much protein compared to normal ice cream. Great, then, as a post-workout treat.
The frozen yoghurt customer can turn to Yoghurt Barn, Frozz and Yogun Fruz, franchise formulas that are doing well with a wide range of yoghurt ice cream.
International ice cream offensive
Than Baskin-Robbins' international ice cream offensive. The American formula opened its first ice cream bakery in the Netherlands in Hoog Catharijne Utrecht. The chain, which will be implementing this concept worldwide, eventually wants to open 10 to 15 ice cream shops in our country. The new ice cream shop brings more than 30 flavours of ice cream and frozen desserts such as ice cream bakery ice cream cakes, milkshakes and freakshakes and more sweets including pastries, biscuits, brownies and drinks.
That extensive range is reflected in Baskin-Robbins' logo. The number '31' shows that customers can enjoy a delicious flavour of ice cream for every day of the month. He can taste these flavours with the pink spoon. The formula launches a new flavour every month and also brings new products such as crepes, freshly baked Belgian waffles and churros.
Netherlands: testing ground with eager ice cream eaters
The Dutch are in for trends and, with over 8 litres of ice cream consumption per person per year, are known as avid ice cream eaters. This makes our country a very suitable testing ground for concepts like Baskin-Robbins. It is the largest ice cream chain in the world with more than 7,900 shops in 53 countries including more than 400 shops in Europe. Today, the formula has more than 1,300 ice cream flavours in total and offers custom-made ice creams, frozen drinks and ice cream sundaes.
Baskin-Robbins has a sister in sweet that is also pushing hard in our country: Dunkin' Donuts, the donut formula that now has about 10 branches here. Together, they are part of Dunkin' Brands International from Amba Daoud BV.
