Mars Ice Cream has found that three-quarters of UK consumers would offer ice cream to their guests when entertaining at home, opening up opportunities for dairy brands to better understand their consumers’ eating habits when it comes to staying in.
According to their study, Mars said that 75% of respondents would offer ice cream as a dessert to their guests, and one in three said that they always keep ice cream at home for impromptu entertaining, as well as offering crisps, nuts, dips and cheese to guests. This suggests that ice cream is still seen as the best-selling food in terms of staying in and connecting with others, and indicates that word of mouth may be the most effective way to sell.
Michelle Frost, general manager at Mars Ice Cream said: “It’s great to see that ice cream continues to dominate as a top choice for big nights in and home entertaining. The survey also revealed that two-thirds of respondents always keep ice cream in the freezer, demonstrating its place as a household staple.”
When selecting ice cream to enjoy with friends and family, 70% consider great taste, followed by great quality (51%), value for money (38%) and recognised brands (24%) as important deciding factors.
In terms of the format of ice cream, Mars said that of their study, 68% of hosts opt for ice cream sharing tubs, which reinforces the notion of sharing ice cream with others as being a communal activity. One in three (36%) said they would choose to serve ice cream on a stick and one in five (22%) an ice cream bar.
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