Over the last few months the word ‘vegan’ seems to have been heard and used many more times than previously. Our team on the ground is reporting that there has been an increase in requests for vegan ice cream cones at recent exhibitions. As one of the few remaining UK manufacturers of ice cream cones and the only UK maker of waffle cones, the production team at Antonelli can react quickly to changes in customer demand and market trends. However did you know that the unique Antonelli Smoothy® waffle cone range has always been suitable for vegans? See our range of UK made Smoothy® waffle cones. Many of our customers are happy to know that by purchasing Antonelli Smoothy® waffle cones they have vegan options to offer their customers. For some vegans sustainability is as important as non-animal. The fact that these are the only waffle cones made in the UK with UK raw ingredients is also key…
“It is very important to me that the vegan cones that we buy from you are made in the UK. As a company we strive to reduce food miles wherever possible and so to buy cones made in the UK is a great way of keeping with those ethics.” Amy, Ceredigion
Which other Antonelli ice cream cones are suitable for vegans?
In response to market demand and to meet our objectives of allergen reduction and cleaner labelling, the Antonelli bakery has developed recipes across all our cones to ensure they are vegan suitable. Therefore since late November 2018 production of the majority of plain ice cream cones, including wafer, sugar and waffle cones, as well as wafer discs is now vegan friendly. However please note that we do currently have stock made before this date so if you particularly require ice cream cones suitable for vegans please ensure you state this at the time of ordering.
What about decorated ice cream cones are they suitable for vegans?
Please be aware that a number of our decorated lines are not suitable for vegans due to the presence of lactose, these include any cones dipped in white chocolate flavouring (all the sherbet decorated cones) and EM & EM cones. However, contrary to many of our customers expectations, our classic dipped cones are also now vegan suitable, but as above please state your requirement for vegan products at the time of ordering to ensure that you are not delivered stock from before November 2018. If you are looking for a decorated cone that is appropriate for vegan consumption ask our Customer Service team or your Business Relationship Manager for more details.
Also ask us about our vegan bases for making vegan gelato or vegan ice cream. To find out more about catering for the vegan diet in your ice cream parlour or gelateria, see our vegan training course.
What is all the fuss about veganism? - I don’t see any demand for vegan products…
Maybe you don’t think there is a demand for vegan products in your region and you may well be right currently, but beware that the trend for veganism is increasing at an unprecedented rate. In fact a new trend seemingly termed ‘flexitarianism’ which means people sometimes choose to eat vegan food is also gaining momentum. According to Marketing Week, of the 3% of the population that are vegan almost half of these made the change in 2018 and many consumers of vegan products are not actually vegan. Consumers are choosing vegan options not just because of health reasons but also due to motivations to help the environment or simply to eat less meat.
We have noticed that the vegan community are very interactive on social media and like to share their vegan food experiences. As vegans like to take extra products home to share amongst fellow vegans, you may find they make for very valuable customers. So even if you only occasionally get asked for vegan ice cream cones or vegan gelato it is probably worth stocking it and promoting via the social media platforms and who knows what impact it might have on your customer numbers?
For more information on how to order these UK made vegan ice cream cones you can register for making online order enquiries, email orders@antonelli.co.uk or call us on 0161 789 4485.
