this heat Although we have just passed May 40, it has been suffocating for weeks. And artisan ice cream makers a historical campaign. A great start to the season, high temperatures, cravings, the end of restrictions and Gezi they forecast the best sales in the last ten years.
This does not mean that it will turn out to be the greatest benefit, because they too price increase energy and raw material resources and finding problems waiters. But after two years complicated by the pandemic, the industry expects a record campaign. 300 million bills for the first time.
Last year, the industry managed to get close to pre-pandemic figures for 2019 despite a bad start to the campaign and restrictions. And the beginning of this year is very encouraging. Marco Miquel, president of the National Association of Artisanal Ice CreamAnhchea) is centered. xixonaand Artglace, Confederation of Artisan Ice Cream Makers Associations of the European Community, “startup very good, except Fallas in Valencia. Inside blessed week Sales went very well everywhere. there are many i want to go out We consume and we believe that it will continue to be so. We expect the best campaign in years, not just in these pandemic years, but perhaps in the last decade.” The campaign runs from March 19 to October 12, but June, July, August and September are key.
The industry stands out as a key point back to normal Return of tourism after two years of restrictions Foreign… and one meteorology who cries for an ice cream or granita. In fact, these days Spain is experiencing one of the earliest heatwaves in its history. And a summer is expected stifling. “The weather is beautiful. Warm helps.”
Also, the association does not stop growing. work has been in progress for several years. attract new partners A good portion of Anhcea members across Spain originally from Xixona and Ibi. they are already a little 410 partners which is added 1,300 ice cream shops It has been distributed across the country and is expected to reach 450 members and 1,500 businesses in a few years. More than 5,000 artisan ice cream parlors in Spain, some 25,600 jobs and in the Community of Valencia alone there are 2,500 businesses employing 8,900 people.
Ice cream makers suffer too problem to find waiter, as with the rest of the hotel industry. “Last year we already had challenges, but this year is stronger and sometimes you have to. sacrificing a table to guarantee an adequate service”.
Moreover, this has caused the home delivery service, which became popular with the arrival of the pandemic in 2020 and continued in 2021, to be almost a reference this year, although it does not represent a large percentage. due to lack of staff they had to do without it.
Likewise, the industry is no stranger to rising energy prices, fuels, raw materials… “Energy was already more expensive last summer, it continues to rise and we suffer a lot. Materials, everything has gone up, Dairy products, sweeteners, more than 30%. And to this should be added: ban on the use of plasticso we have to look for other materials pipette, bathtubs, tea spoonwe find that it is difficult to find new material that works right and we have been through trial and error… and that somehow handled these basic materials for us. 400%“.
Thus, although the best sales of the last ten years are expected, the profit margin has narrowed due to the increase in energy and material costs. Thus, the expected turnover of 300 million is the result not only of more sales, but also of the increase in the prices of the products. ice cream men Adjust prices as much as possible so that everything is not passed on to the customer..
flavors
As for the flavors, the classics are always the winners: chocolate, vanilla, nougat, strawberry and meringue bring together every year 85% from their demands. Last year, the pandemic caused ice cream producers to innovation to focus on flavors that have already been tested. But even though this year has left them little time to get off to such a strong start to the campaign, they’re still discovering new creations.
The chocolate boom that the industry has been experiencing for years seems to never end, and you can find many varieties and creations with or without cocoa as one of its heroes.
And this year associations have two creations to present if they wish. Artglace chose “Dolce Sinfonia” as the European flavor for this year. Dried figs softened with chocolate, ricotta, hazelnut and fig jam or rum.
And Anhcea created a chocolate covered Alicante nougat veined honey chocolate, to make it like crispy. Thus, detailing formulas are offered to members, where ice cream manufacturers can create their own variations for an industry that does not give up on innovating and creating new frozen flavors. To lick your fingers and fight the embarrassment that comes.
Institute of Investigation
On the other hand, Anhcea, at the end of this year, building The long-awaited Artisan Ice Cream Research Institute, which will take its place next to Nougat Regulatory Council, Espartal III of Xixona in polygon. Earlier this year, Generalitat handed over the land for this project to Xixona, and they hope the handover to ice cream vendors will soon be formalized by the City Council. At the end of the year, it is estimated that preliminary work such as tasting and land surveys will be carried out to begin construction of the complex at the beginning of 2023, so that it will be operational by the end of this year. The goal is to become a benchmark at the European level and represent “a qualitative leap that reflects the work of artisanal ice cream makers in Xixona”. dynamism According to Miquel, it is a sector that creates jobs and produces the highest quality products.” The new building will also house Anhcea’s headquarters and lab fully equipped, plus several training classes It is approved to run courses of all levels.