Wall’s is the single biggest ice cream manufacturer in Britain. Inside the Superbrands on Channel 4 saw Helen Skelton get the scoop to uncover how Wall’s became the cool best seller, with almost a billion individual ice creams revealed to be produced in one factory in a single year.
The much-loved brand is celebrating its centenary this year, after originating in 1922. Forty products are sold across 52 countries, including household favourites Feast, Twister, Magnum, Cornetto and Viennetta.
Skelton got to see first-hand how many of these products are created in Europe’s biggest ice cream factory - found in Gloucester. Wall’s is notoriously secretive about its ice cream making processes in a bid to keep their secrets hidden from rivals.
Read more: 15 cool Welsh ice creams to make sunny days even sweeter
During the factory tour, Skelton was told how 200 Viennettas, which are well known for their thin layers, are made in a single minute. Additionally, a whopping four million Cornettos are constructed each week.
In total, Wall’s made over six billion ice creams to be sold worldwide last year. At this Gloucester factory alone, around 800 million ice cream products were made, across a variety of shapes, sizes and flavours.
The factory has now set the target of producing almost a billion ice creams across the next 12 months, as sales show no signs of slowing. Later in the episode, its continued popularity was partly explained by the fact that ice cream has now become a treat all year round, rather than being weather dependent.
As part of its 100th birthday celebrations, Wall’s has also brought out a new line based on nostalgia, devising a twist on the classic Rocket lolly. Combining blueberry, strawberry and blackcurrant flavours, the Gloucester factory was soon shown to have added this production to its roster, creating just shy of two million lollies a week.
Inside the Superbrands returns next Sunday (June 19) as Skelton discovers how Guinness, one of the most famous beer brewers in the world, make their bestselling stout.
