One of Scotland’s favourite brands has recorded its biggest month of sales ever after a surge in demand across major UK supermarkets following an extended spring heatwave.
Family-owned Mackie’s of Scotland reported that in April 2025 it sold 1,564,837 litres of ice cream, making it the company’s most successful month on record and surpassing the previous monthly total of 1,534,746 litres, achieved during the UK’s hottest June in 2023.
This record-breaking achievement comes as the UK experiences unseasonably warm temperatures, with Scotland recording average highs of 19°C this past week – a significant increase from the 14°C average during the same period last year.
The UK as a whole has seen temperatures soar, with April 2025 averaging 5°C hotter than April 2024, creating perfect conditions for ice cream consumption nationwide.
As well as the warm ice cream weather, Mackie’s was also helped by distribution gains it has seen this summer, with its Raspberry Ripple flavour making its debut in 255 Sainsbury Local’s stores last month, and the most widely distributed raspberry ripple product at Sainsbury’s.
The brand’s larger 2 litre Traditional flavour tubs has also seen gains in Tesco and Morrisons, giving greater choice to ice cream lovers looking to indulge and cool down as temperatures rise.
Will Dixon, Mackie’s Head of Sales, said: “The weather last spring and summer was wet and windy, and this April’s sunshine has given the UK a taste of brighter days to come, which they were clearly more than ready to enjoy with a bowl of ice cream!
“April’s record sales have been given a boost by the brilliant weather, but ultimately the numbers are testament to our ice cream being chosen again and again by our loyal customers for its quality.”
Mackie’s recent sales success has seen the Aberdeenshire firm become the fourth most popular premium ice cream brand in the UK, retaining its spot at Scotland’s best-selling¹. Over the past year, Mackie’s ice cream was purchased by around 25% of households in Scotland, and 8% (up from 6%) of all UK households, making it the most popular family-owned producer (KantarWorldPanel).
Mackie’s produces all of its ice cream using fresh milk and cream on its fifth-generation family dairy farm, Westertown, near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. The farm is fitted with four large wind turbines, a 10-acre solar farm and a low-carbon refrigeration system, resulting in it producing twice as much energy as it uses.
To find out more about Mackie’s, please visit: www.mackies.co.uk.
