July has seen one of Scotland’s best-loved food brands record its biggest ever sales month through a combination of blazing summer sunshine, growing retail presence and a landmark marketing push.
Family-owned Mackie’s of Scotland has confirmed that it sold over 1.9 million litres of ice cream during the month of July, achieving a new all-time monthly sales record.
The standout month comes on the back of a hot summer, with the UK basking in its warmest July since 2019, with Scotland recording average temperatures in the low 20s – ideal conditions for frozen treats.
Helping capitalise on the demand, Mackie’s has also significantly expanded its presence in major supermarkets. The brand’s popular Traditional tubs saw increased availability in Tesco and Morrisons, while Raspberry Ripple gained a permanent place on Sainsbury’s local shelves, helping it become the chain’s most widely distributed raspberry ripple ice cream.
Adding further momentum was the roll-out of Mackie’s biggest-ever outdoor marketing campaign. The Full Cream Ahead series focuses on Mackie’s unique recipe blend that prioritises full cream and milk content in its products.
With billboards and posters across parts of England, Full Cream Ahead displays a significant investment to broadening brand reach and introducing more households south of the border to Mackie’s’ farm-crafted, no-nonsense ingredients range.
Stuart Common, Mackie’s Managing Director, praised the collective efforts of staff across the business.
He said: “The month of July saw impressive results, selling over 1,900,000 litres of ice cream, our best results in the history of the company. That’s enough ice cream to fill over 15 000 bathtubs or our local Inverurie swimming pool three times over.
“These results would not have been possible without the hard work of everyone at Mackie’s. Staff have volunteered to work extra shifts to keep up with demand, we have also created new summer roles and increased the number in our production team. We are consistently working hard at increasing standards and the July sales are testament to this.”
Stuart added: “We’re investing more than ever in letting people know about Mackie’s. The marketing campaign is about making a bold statement, but also about being proud of our roots, our values, and the fact that we make our ice cream right here on the family farm.”
The farm’s ice cream parlour, Mackie’s 19.2 has also enjoyed a record-breaking period of sales in July following the internationally renowned Tall Ships Festival, selling over 18 000 scoops of nautical inspired treats.
Mackie’s ice cream continues to grow in popularity and is now purchased by around 25% of households in Scotland and 8% of households across the UK, making it the most popular family-owned ice cream brand nationwide.
Mackie’s produces all its ice cream using fresh milk and cream on its fifth-generation family dairy farm, Westertown, near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. The farm is powered by its own renewable energy installations, including wind turbines, a 10-acre solar farm and a low-carbon refrigeration system, allowing the farm to produce twice as much energy as it consumes.
To find out more about Mackie’s, visit: www.mackies.co.uk
