Crystal Ice

What Crystal Ice does

Crystal Ice Limited is a UK-based, privately held commercial ice cube manufacturer and distributor founded in 1986. Operating from a single manufacturing facility at Units 5 and 6, 46 Ellison Gardens, Southall, Middlesex, UB2 4EW, the company produces and distributes ice cubes to B2B customers across twelve market sectors: airline caterers, cash-and-carry wholesalers, corporate event organisers, convenience stores and supermarkets, food and drink manufacturers, frozen food distributors, health and sports clubs, hotels and conference venues, off-licences and wine merchants, night clubs, public houses and wine bars, and restaurants. Its published client roster spans UK enterprise names including Asda, Sainsbury's, McDonald's, Burger King, Coca-Cola, KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, Subway, Radisson, Fuller's, Costcutter, Nisa Today's, Landmark Wholesale, Londis, and am2pm.

The business model is direct B2B sales with two fulfilment channels: a guaranteed next-day delivery service for orders confirmed by noon, and a factory collection option available seven days a week year-round by appointment for trade account holders. Trade accounts are opened by written application stating business nature and minimum weekly ice consumption requirements; pricing is quote-based, individually negotiated, and not publicly disclosed. The company runs a sales-led go-to-market motion with no disclosed digital marketing channels beyond a basic website whose copyright is dated 2009, no social media presence, no app, no API, no disclosed patents or certifications, and no announced leadership or management team.

There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, no funding history, no M&A activity, no regulatory actions, and no disclosed revenue, headcount, or ownership structure. Operating geography is the United Kingdom, with marketing partnerships listed as Hounslow (local) and ITCA (industry association). The company is privately held, UK-domiciled, and continues to operate with an essentially unchanged product, channel, and technology footprint since founding.

Name

Crystal Ice

Legal name

Crystal Ice Limited

Website

https://crystal-ice.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Crystal Ice Limited is a UK-based, privately held commercial ice cube manufacturer and distributor founded in 1986, operating a single Southall facility and serving enterprise B2B customers across supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, and wholesalers with next-day direct delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Ice Production & Distribution

NAICS

Ice Manufacturing (312113), Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers (424420)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAF)

Keywords

• Commercial ice supply
• Ice cube production
• Bulk ice distribution
• Ice delivery services
• Trade ice sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Southall

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ice Product Sales: Crystal Ice generates revenue through the sale of ice cubes to businesses. They offer trade accounts for regular commercial customers and operate a delivery model with next-day delivery for orders confirmed by noon. The company also facilitates ice collection from their factory.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Crystal Ice produces and distributes ice cubes for commercial consumption to businesses across retail, food service, hospitality, airline catering, and wholesale sectors. The company operates from a manufacturing facility in Southall, Middlesex, offering next-day delivery for orders confirmed by noon and factory collection by appointment seven days a week year-round for trade account holders.

Product overview

Crystal Ice operates as a single-product ice production and distribution company established in 1986. The core offering is ice cubes, distributed to commercial customers including supermarkets, restaurants, convenience stores, event organizers, and food manufacturers. The company emphasizes fast turnaround times, next-day delivery for orders confirmed by noon, and emergency supply support for unexpected shortfalls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ice Cubes Commercially produced ice cubes sold to businesses across multiple market sectors including supermarkets, fast food chains, restaurants, convenience stores, pubs, hotels, airlines, wholesalers, and event organizers. Available via next-day delivery for orders confirmed by noon or factory collection by appointment.

Named customers16 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• HounslowminorOthersHounslow partnership appears on the company's partners page. Limited information available about the nature of the partnership. Company logo is displayed alongside other partner logos.
• ITCAminorOthersITCA (International Ice Trade Association or similar) appears on the company's partners page. Limited information available about the nature of the partnership. Company logo is displayed alongside other partner logos.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Manitowoc Ice: Manitowoc is a global ice machine manufacturer serving foodservice, hospitality, and retail under the Manitowoc Ice brand. Relevant as a category-defining incumbent in the ice manufacturing equipment space that competes for the same enterprise end-customers as Crystal Ice.
• Scotsman Ice Systems: Scotsman Ice Systems is a leading global supplier of commercial ice machines and ice products serving hospitality, foodservice, and retail. Comparable in addressing the same end-uses (beverages, food display, foodservice) though primarily through equipment and broader portfolios rather than a single-site UK ice distributor model.
• Reddy Ice: Reddy Ice is the largest packaged ice manufacturer in North America, operating a multi-site network serving retail, foodservice, and industrial buyers. It is comparable in scale and category to Crystal Ice but operates in a different (US/Canadian) geography with a much broader national footprint.
• Hoshizaki: Hoshizaki is a global manufacturer of commercial ice machines and a producer of ice for foodservice and retail. Comparable on product technology and end-market overlap, though Hoshizaki is primarily an equipment OEM that also supplies ice, rather than a pure-play ice distributor like Crystal Ice.

Direct peers

• The Ice Co: The Ice Co is one of the largest UK suppliers of bagged ice and ice cubes to retail, wholesale, and foodservice customers. It is the closest direct competitor to Crystal Ice given the same product, geography (UK), and enterprise customer mix.
• Polar Ice: Polar Ice is a UK supplier of bagged and cubed ice serving retail and foodservice customers. It is a direct peer to Crystal Ice given shared product (ice cubes), UK footprint, and overlapping customer base of convenience retailers, pubs, and restaurants.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crystal Ice