Did you know that the only Waffle Cones made in the UK are made by Antonelli?
Many of you will be familiar with Antonelli cones and the ‘Cones for the Connoisseur’ strapline for which Antonelli is so well known, but did you realise that they are the only UK ice cream cones manufacturer to make all kinds of cones in-house? With a heritage in biscuit making going back over a century and as pioneers in sugar cone production in the 1960s, Antonelli still pride themselves today in their range of UK made cones, including not just wafer and sugar cones, but also waffle cones and the unique to Antonelli ‘Smoothy®’ waffle cones.
“Making our cones in Manchester, means that we can serve the UK market efficiently, with fresh and locally made products, Mark Antonelli explains. Our customers appreciate our location and the ability to supply cones with minimal breakages due to our careful packing and low handling”.
Apart from these benefits highlighted by Mark, there are other advantages of making cones in the UK. As well as the obvious reduced miles to market, Antonelli are able to quickly react to changes in demand in the market which means bringing new variations in the ice cream cone range in a relatively short period of time. An example of this is the recent addition of the Black Smoothy® Twist® 
which was introduced this summer due to demand from some customers for the rather sinister looking black cone. Of course there are certain times of year when sinister is exactly what you are searching for and the Black Smoothy® Twist® generated plenty of appeal over the Halloween period. Along with the EM & EM Torino and the Exploding Torino waffle cones, which Antonelli also make and decorate in Manchester, they completed a trick or treat trio.
Social Responsiblity
These cones are all for the older child or adult market but Antonelli also have cones specifically designed to serve younger customers. The Cheeky Monkey® wafer cone has been a particular hit since it took to the market last year. In a time when child obesity is commonly discussed, and asproviders of indulgent desserts we have a certain social responsibility to ensure our youngest customers are not getting portions bigger than they need. The Cheeky Monkey® cone has a narrow head, so requires less ice cream resulting in an appropriate portion and price for all parties and ultimately happy children and parents.
Cones for Festivals
As we look towards one of the major festivals of the calendar Mark Antonelli likes to recommend a number of different cones in which to serve your festive gelato flavours. The EM & EM Torino mentioned above is another recent addition to the Antonelli range and is proving very popular with sweet loving teenagers who want to impress their friends. For a more sophisticated market the classic Dipped Smoothy® cones, Nutty and HoneyCone decorated cones are always a winner. These are highly visual cones and draw potential customers into your parlour or gelateria even if they actually buy a plain cone in the end it might just be that deciding factor that makes them step off the pavement and into your shop. Many people will say that you can’t beat the classic Smoothy® Twist® which has remained a popular waffle cone for many years and provides a single serving high value presence. However there is much more to cone selection than this. That is why Antonelli’s team of Business Relationship Managers are out in the market place helping gelateria owners, ice cream parlour proprietors, wholesalers, ice cream manufacturers and farm shops alike to select a suitable range of cones, not just according to taste and size but appropriate for the ice cream or gelato being served and the demographics of their local markets. Look out for a visit from your Antonelli Business Relationship Manager as they may have some hot news about cool cones coming for 2018.
