Are you considering launching your own ice cream making business?
If so, you may be wondering whether it’s best to make your own ice cream, or buy in from another source.
If it’s the former, then you’ll need to compile a checklist of required essentials, one of which will be a commercial ice cream machine.
Is it best making your own ice cream or sourcing it from elsewhere?
Aside from sourcing a machine for ice cream making, if you do decide to go down the artisanal route, there are lots of other elements you need to consider if you make your ice cream from scratch.
Choose to buy it in from somewhere else, and your customers can probably be assured that they’ll get a consistency in quality and flavour. However, on the other hand, they’re unlikely to be wowed by something that has been made uniquely by you.
And let’s face it, there is plenty of competition when it comes to commercially made ice cream, whereas your own home-made confection will have the kind of USP that customers are prepared to pay a little bit more for.
If they are looking for a product that is authentic and exciting, there is nothing better than home-made ice cream.
We must stress that it isn’t at all a bad thing if you want to go down the bought-in route.
After all, you may not have the start-up budget for home-made products, nor the confidence to sell your own, but if you have developed a passion for your iced confection and want to launch it onto the public than you are likely to be thinking that your own product is the way to go.
Benefits of making own ice cream in an ice cream maker over sourcing from another provider
You can be creative
If you are passionate about ice cream, then what could be more fun than devising and creating a menu of flavours to thrill your customers? Thinking about what to make, and how to serve it, will be one of the most exciting aspects of the business.
And don’t be afraid to be adventurous in your choices.
The kind of customer you are looking to attract is one that will spend more for a premium product.
As the person producing the ice cream, you have the freedom to launch exciting new flavours each month. If something doesn’t sell, you can stop making it, but if it is a big hit then you are on to a winner and you may want to look at scaling up production.
You can create a brand
Not only will you be the mastermind behind the flavours and ingredients you’re using in your product, you can also create your own brand. This involves thinking of a name for your product in addition to devising a logo and design that can be used on all your packaging. Imagine seeing your ice cream on the freezer shelves of your local supermarket or being served up at your favourite restaurant! There are myriad possibilities when it comes to creating your own ice cream brand.
You decide what goes into your ice cream
Maybe you have a mission to produce lactose-free ice cream because of your own lactose intolerance or want to launch a delicious vegan ice cream brand because your diet is meat and dairy free. Or perhaps you don’t like the over sweet taste of some commercial ice creams? Whatever your reasons for making your own ice cream you will be the one in charge and able to decide what goes into the end product.
It could be cheaper
Depending upon where you source your ingredients, making your own ice cream could be cheaper. For example, many dairy farmers now have an ice cream side hustle using the milk they get from their herd. Revenue can also be measured by profit per scoop as you are in control over your ingredients, flavour and overrun of your product.
Best ice cream machines or ice cream makers for use on commercial premises
To get started making your own delicious, iced confection you need to know which is the best commercial ice cream machine UK to use.
This will be a big outlay, but it will pay you back in years to come so invest as much as you can in a machine that is equipped to do the job well.
One thing you don’t want to happen is for all your fabulous ideas to be let down by an inferior machine.
Your commercial ice cream maker works by cooling and mixing the mixture at the same time thus preventing any ice crystals from forming and making it inedible, so the best ice cream maker will come with a built-in freezer.
It will also have a large enough capacity for your needs.
Making ice cream for a customer base, whether you are selling your product in a shop or restaurant, is very different from making ice cream for a family. You need a lot more capacity and greater storage.
It will also be able to produce ice cream much quicker and have different function settings to enable your ice cream machine commercial to process anything from sorbet and granita to soft ice cream and frozen yoghurt.
A top-rated ice cream machine, such as one manufactured by Nemox, will have something called a density control switch which stops production when the density is too hard.
Vevor and GSICE are also top-rated ice cream machine makes to look out for.
Finally, once you have made batches of your delicious ice cream, you will need the right packaging to ensure that it will be stored correctly and will not spoil, which is where Venturepak can help.
We have a fantastic range of containers what have been created specifically for the purpose of storing your ice cream.