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British ice cream brand Jude’s has announced the launch of its first handheld ice cream range. Called Jude’s Minis, the line is made using the brand's lower-calorie vanilla bean ice cream – a product which is sweetened with stevia and erythritol – and available in a six-pack format. Each box contains two Belgian milk chocolate and almond sticks, two Belgian milk chocolate sticks, and two Belgian white chocolate-coated sticks, each with 95 calories per serve. Jude’s Ice Cream managing director Chow Mezger said: “We are delighted to be the first to market with these delicious, lower-calorie ice cream bars. We’ve witnessed the growing demand from consumers nationwide for lower-calorie ice cream that tastes delicious.

“We launched our range of lower-calorie tubs, including a vegan chocolate flavour, a few months ago, and the flavours have been very well received. We are excited to follow these up with handheld bars – the perfect lower calorie treat.”  The range will go on sale exclusively at Sainsbury’s stores in the UK as of 11 March with a recommended retail price of £4.50. Last year, Jude’s further expanded its Little Jude’s portfolio with the introduction of two flavoured milks in chocolate and banana variants.