Mackie’s rises up the rankings with supermarket success

2024 was a brilliant year for Mackie’s, seeing an increase in both where our delicious ice cream can be bought, and the amount of people picking up our tubs. A firm family favourite north of the border, Mackie’s was purchased by around 20% of households in Scotland, and 8% (up from 6%) of all UK households, making it the fifth most popular ice cream brand in the UK and the most popular family-owned producer (KantarWorldPanel).

The bulk of this success was driven by distribution gains for our ice cream flavours across the UK, combined with a robust and targeted marketing drive. Co-op, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco stores all stocked more flavours of Mackie’s, leading to 400,000 new UK buyers last financial year (KantarWorldPanel). Overall, Mackie’s ice cream sales rose by a whopping 10%.

Stuart Common, our Managing Director, commented, “We’re always delighted to see new consumers buying Mackie’s products, but what’s been particularly encouraging is that they are becoming repeat buyers, which can only mean they are loving our classic and delicious ice cream.”

“Our sustainable initiatives, which see us renewably produce twice as much energy as we use at the farm, have stood us in good stead in recent years, allowing us to keep our offering very competitive while refusing to compromise on quality, amid rising costs across the board.”

While the 2023-4 financial year delivered strong results, Mackie’s leadership remains mindful of challenges on the horizon. Stuart commented: “Wet and windy weather in the summer months of 2024 made for a difficult start to the year, which has been compounded by rising costs, especially cream prices.”

Since the beginning of the current financial year, the price of cream reached an all-time high, at one point it was 47% higher than the same period the previous year. We use fresh milk and cream in every tub, so the sharp rises in cream prices registered in the current financial year will effect us in a variety of ways.

Despite this, and amid rising costs for food manufacturers generally, Stuart remains positive: “Our long-term strategic focus continues to be driving sustainable growth. We prioritise reinvestment in our people, products, and sustainability, aiming to ensure resilience in an evolving market.”