Equi's Ice Cream

What Equi's Ice Cream does

Equi's Ice Cream (legally Peter Equi & Sons Ltd.) is a fourth-generation, family-owned artisan ice cream manufacturer based in Rutherglen, Scotland, operating since Pietro Equi opened his first café in Hamilton in 1922. The company produces more than 26 ice cream flavours and sorbets using Scottish whole milk and double cream sourced from Park Farm within 10 miles of its purpose-built, eco-friendly factory (opened 2022, 45x the size of its predecessor). Its proprietary production process — pasteurisation, homogenisation, ageing and blast-freezing — is positioned around avoiding excessive overrun and vegetable fats, with proprietary flavour development anchored by named Scottish suppliers (Isle of Skye Sea Salt, Castleton Farm raspberries, Aldomak tablet pieces).

The company operates four primary revenue streams: (1) B2B wholesale supply of 4.5L Napoli tubs, 2L packs and pre-packed formats to 250+ dessert parlours, cafés and restaurants across Scotland, including long-tenured accounts such as Viva Italia Group; (2) B2C retail through four own-brand scooping parlours (Hamilton, Cambuslang, Motherwell and Edinburgh/Gladstone's Land via National Trust for Scotland) and an ice cream cart hire event service; (3) UK supermarket distribution through listings at Tesco (67 Extra stores), Asda, Co-op, Sainsbury's and Morrisons; and (4) venue partnership as Official Ice Cream Partner of OVO Hydro. Pricing is unit-based across grocery and wholesale, with no publicly disclosed wholesale or cart-hire pricing.

Governance is family-controlled across four generations: David Equi (Managing Director, third generation) leads strategy, with Alex Equi (Brand Manager, fourth generation) joining in 2021. Equi's is a private limited company with no external investors, no M&A history, and no disclosed funding events — growth has been funded internally and supported by infrastructure reinvestment (e.g., 2022 Rutherglen factory). The brand has accumulated 80+ Great Taste stars over 10 consecutive years, a 3-star Great Taste win in 2025, and 12 5-star ratings at the 2026 Golden Scoop Awards, and holds SALSA food safety and Rainforest Alliance chocolate certifications.

Name

Equi's Ice Cream

Legal name

Peter Equi & Sons Ltd.

Website

https://equisicecream.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Equi's Ice Cream is a fourth-generation, family-owned Scottish-Italian artisan ice cream manufacturer (Peter Equi & Sons Ltd.) producing 26+ flavours from locally sourced Scottish milk and cream at its Rutherglen factory, and distributing through 250+ wholesale stockists, four own-brand scooping parlours, and listings across all five major UK supermarkets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Ice Cream Manufacturing

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAKAKAE

Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Processing & Manufacturing/Dairy Product Manufacturing

SECONDARYCRADACAE

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/Dairy & Refrigerated Foods

SECONDARYAFAIAHAC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Wholesale

SECONDARYTHAFAGAA

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Dessert, Ice Cream & Specialty Sweets Shops

Keywords

• Artisan ice cream
• Ice cream manufacturing
• Dairy dessert products
• Ice cream wholesale
• Ice cream parlour

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamilton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Wholesale: Equi's supplies its ice cream to over 250 dessert parlours, cafés, and restaurants across Scotland through wholesale agreements. Products include 4.5L Napoli tubs for scooping cabinets, 2L space-saving packs, and pre-packed options including single-serve, 460ml and 1L tubs.
2. Retail Sales (Own Parlours): Four Equi's-owned scooping locations (Hamilton, Cambuslang, Motherwell, and Edinburgh) sell directly to consumers. Hamilton operates as ice cream parlour and takeaway; Cambuslang adds restaurant service.
3. Ice Cream Cart Hire: The Equi's Ice Cream cart is available for hire at events such as weddings, galas, school fayres, and corporate events, operated independently by Craven.
4. Retail Grocery Distribution: Products sold through major UK supermarket chains including Tesco (67 Tesco Extra stores across Scotland), Asda, Co-op, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Equi's Ice Cream manufactures and distributes premium Scottish-Italian style ice cream made from locally sourced Scottish whole milk and double cream, with no vegetable fats and minimal air incorporation. The business supplies approximately 26 flavours to over 250 wholesale trade customers, its own four retail scoop parlours, and major UK supermarket chains, and also offers ice cream cart hire for events.

Product overview

Equi's is a fourth-generation Scottish-Italian family ice cream maker offering a portfolio of over 26 named ice cream flavours and sorbets, all made with locally sourced Scottish whole milk and double cream. The core product line spans classic flavours (Double Cream Madagascan Vanilla, Belgian Chocolate, Pistachio Swirl), Scottish-inspired creations (Isle of Skye Sea Salt & Caramel, Scottish Tablet, Scottish Raspberry Sorbet), and innovative branded collaborations (Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Kinder Bueno, Biscoff Crunch, Oreo Cookies n Cream). Products are available in multiple formats: retail tubs (120ml, 460ml, 1L, 2L) and bulk Napoli/4.5L and 2L formats for the wholesale channel. The wholesale division supplies dessert parlours, cafés, and restaurants across Scotland. An ice cream cart hire service provides branded event catering. The company operates four retail scooping locations and has expanded into major Scottish retail chains including Tesco, ASDA, Co-op, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Premium Scottish-Italian Ice Cream (Tubs/Pots)

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 Great Taste stars in 2025 — most successful year since 2019. Hazelnut Brittle ranked in top 1.5% of over 14,000 entries.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Park Farm / Park Farm DairycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022In September 2022, Equi's partnered with Park Farm to source fresh whole milk for ice cream production. Located less than 10 miles from the factory, this reduces carbon footprint. Park Farm's single herd of cows produces high-fat milk that enhances creaminess. Partnership also eliminated 70 cardboard/plastic containers per week by switching to 1000-litre reusable pallecon containers — saving 2.5 tons of single-use plastic annually.
• Isle of Skye Sea Salt CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Isle of Skye Sea Salt for the Sea Salt & Caramel flavour. This premium sea salt is made entirely from Loch Snizort using sun and wind evaporation — the first sea salt made on the Isle of Skye for 300 years and the only UK sea salt made with a single-stage evaporation process retaining all minerals.
• Castleton FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAberdeenshire-based family farm supplying fresh Scottish raspberries used in Raspberry Sorbet, Strawberry Ripple, and Strawberry Cheesecake flavours. Castleton Farm has been farming since the 1900s.
• AldomakminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlasgow-based family business with over 80 years of experience supplying tablet pieces for the Scottish Tablet ice cream flavour.
• Tesco ScotlandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEqui's Ice Cream launched in 67 Tesco Extra stores across Scotland. Four best-selling flavours stocked: Double Cream Madagascan Vanilla, Raspberry Ripple, Pistachio Swirl, and Scottish Tablet (460ml). This is described as Equi's biggest retail step to date.
• Maggie's LanarkshirecoreOthersOfficial charity partner of Equi's. Since 2021, Equi's pledged £12,000 annually (£34,051 total over 5 years) to fund one full day of Maggie's Lanarkshire operations in memory of Roberto Equi. Maggie's provides free practical, emotional, and psychological support for anyone affected by cancer.
• OVO Hydro / SECcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Ice Cream Partner of OVO Hydro (SEC arena in Glasgow). Equi's supplies ice cream at events including Country to Country (C2C) music festival and Disney On Ice. Partnership includes hospitality ticket giveaways and brand visibility at Scotland's largest entertainment venue.
• Peter Equi & Sons Ltd. (Trading Entity)coreOthersPeter Equi & Sons Ltd. is the registered trading company (legal entity) for Equi's Ice Cream, confirmed as the company name behind promotional competitions (e.g., C2C hospitality ticket giveaway).
• National Trust for Scotland (Gladstone's Land)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEqui's crafted a bespoke historical recipe ice cream flavour for Gladstone's Land on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. National Trust for Scotland operations manager Claire Grant confirmed seamless partnership. Equi's also supplies ice cream for events at the venue.
• Kilbryde HospiceminorOthersEqui's has supplied ice cream to Kilbryde Hospice patients for over five years, providing comfort to individuals with life-limiting conditions in the local community.
• Hamilton Academical FCminorOthersSponsorship of local football club Hamilton Accies dates back to the 1930s. Partnership extends to Hamilton Academical FC Community Trust, providing events and support for local children and families.
• Too Good To GominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollection system at the Rutherglen factory allowing purchase of out-of-date or surplus ice cream at one-third of original price. Has rescued 200+ tubs of ice cream from waste and prevented 800+ kg of CO2e emissions.
• Rainforest AllianceminorOthersCertifying body for Equi's Belgian chocolate supply chain, ensuring chocolate is sourced responsibly.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Froneri: Global ice cream manufacturer (Nestlé/R&R joint heritage) producing branded and licensed-ice-cream ranges including Cadbury, Oreo, and Nestlé tubs. Comparable as the manufacturer of several branded-licence flavours in the same freezer aisle.
• Ben & Jerry's: Unilever-owned super-premium ice cream brand with universal UK supermarket distribution and impulse/ scoop-shop presence. Competes head-on for premium-grocery and scoop-shop consumer share as a much larger incumbent.
• Wall's (Unilever Heartbrand): Long-standing UK ice cream brand under Unilever covering impulse, multipack, and premium ranges. The volume-leader benchmark for grocery share against which Equi's premium range must hold its price points and shelf positioning.
• Häagen-Dazs: General Mills-owned super-premium ice cream global brand with full UK grocery and scoop-shop presence. Direct premium-ice-cream category incumbent competing for the same shopper occasions and menu placements as Equi's.

Direct peers

• Rocombe Farm Ice Cream: Devon-based traditional dairy ice cream producer using own-farm cream. Comparable as a family-owned, provenance-led premium UK ice cream maker selling via wholesale and farm-direct channels.
• Marshfield Farm Ice Cream: Wiltshire-based farm ice cream producer selling through farm shops, garden centres and independent retail. Comparable on premium farm-to-freezer positioning, scoop/retail hybrids, and B2B/wholesale distribution in regional UK markets.
• Mackie's of Scotland: Family-owned Scottish dairy and ice cream maker based in Aberdeenshire; uses its own herd milk and traditional recipes. Most directly comparable on Scottish provenance, family ownership, supermarket listings, and artisan positioning versus Equi's.
• Brymor Ice Cream: Family-run premium UK ice cream manufacturer supplying major retailers, foodservice and visitor attractions. Closest analog on the combination of supermarket listings, wholesale B2B depth, and premium positioning.

Emerging players

• Cado: Plant-based 'ice cream' brand whose dairy-free range overlaps with Equi's Scottish Raspberry Sorbet and any future vegan SKUs. Relevant as the most visible emerging alternative for retailers allocating dairy-free freezer facings.
• Northern Bloc Ice Cream: Leeds-based craft ice cream maker focused on premium, natural-ingredient ranges including dairy-free and alcoholic-flavour SKUs. Competes in the same premium supermarket and foodservice channels with overlapping flavour ranges.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EquisIceCream
• Facebookfacebook.com/equisicecream
• Instagraminstagram.com/equisicecream
• TikToktiktok.com/@equisicecream

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Equi's Ice Cream