Crolla’s Ice Cream

What Crolla’s Ice Cream does

Crolla’s Ice Cream is a family-owned wholesale ice cream manufacturer and distributor based in a single factory at 48 Jessie Street, Polmadie, Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1895 by Italian immigrant Serafino Crolla, the business is now in its fourth generation under owner Peter Crolla and has produced traditional Italian-Scottish gelato continuously for over 130 years. Operations are confined to Scotland, with distribution handled through a direct-delivery network serving ice cream parlours, dessert cafes, restaurants, hotels, retailers, and buffet/event caterers.

The company’s product portfolio spans multiple categories: a Parlour Range of dozens of classic and novelty flavours, Speciality Ice Creams sourced from European manufacturers, Cakes & Desserts (gateaux, pies, tray bakes, cheesecakes, vegan cakes), a Buffet Range for events (Jimmy Gelato 4-litre, 10-litre tubs, long-life mix, topping syrups), Bulk Ice Cream, and a Retail Range (Crolla Tubs, Jimmy Gelato Tubs, Ice Lollies). In February 2023, Crolla’s acquired the Soaves ice cream brand, adding Scottish-Italian recipe lines including Napoli Trays, Snowballs & Sponges. Vegan options are available across categories. The underlying technology is traditional Italian gelato production methods supplemented by curated sourcing from European speciality dessert manufacturers; no digital product, app, or AI/automation layer is in evidence.

Crolla’s operates a B2B wholesale revenue model with quote-based, pay-as-you-go unit pricing. Sales are conducted via phone, email, and downloadable PDF product catalogues rather than an e-commerce storefront, and pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is direct wholesale delivery from the Glasgow factory to business customers across Scotland. Marketing is primarily organic social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter). No external funding has been raised; the company is privately held under Crolla family control. Headcount is in the 11–50 range.

Name

Crolla’s Ice Cream

Legal name

The Crolla Ice Cream Company Ltd

Website

https://crollaicecream.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crolla’s Ice Cream is a fourth-generation family-owned wholesale ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturer in Glasgow, Scotland, supplying traditional Italian-Scottish gelato, cakes, and speciality desserts to ice cream parlours, cafes, restaurants, hotels, retailers, and event caterers across Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Ice Cream Manufacturing

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC)

Keywords

• Wholesale ice cream
• Gelato manufacturing
• Frozen desserts
• Ice cream parlour supply
• Speciality dessert wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Polmadie

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. Wholesale Ice Cream Sales: Crolla's operates as a wholesale supplier selling ice cream, gelato, frozen desserts, cakes, and related products to businesses including ice cream parlours, dessert cafes, restaurants, hotels, buffets, and retailers. Products are sold in various formats including parlour range, bulk quantities, and specialty items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Crolla's Ice Cream manufactures traditional Italian-style gelato, sorbets, vegan ice cream, cakes and frozen desserts at its Glasgow factory and wholesale-distributes these to ice cream parlours, cafes, restaurants, hotels, buffet caterers, and retailers throughout Scotland. The product portfolio spans parlour flavours, speciality imported desserts, bulk formats, retail tubs and ice lollies, and the acquired Soaves Scottish-Italian brand. Customers order via phone, email, or downloadable wholesale product lists and receive delivery through the company's own distribution network.

Product overview

Crolla's Ice Cream is a traditional Italian ice cream manufacturer and wholesale supplier based in Glasgow, Scotland, with over 130 years of history since 1895. The company operates as a single unified product business offering ice cream and frozen desserts through multiple product lines: the core Parlour Range featuring dozens of traditional and innovative flavours; Speciality Ice Creams sourced from European manufacturers; the acquired Soaves brand (since February 2023) offering Scottish Italian ice cream; Cakes & Desserts including gateaux, pies, and puddings; Buffet Range for bulk events; Bulk Ice Cream; Retail products (tubs and ice lollies); and Restaurant/Cafe ranges. The portfolio serves ice cream parlours, cafes, restaurants, hotels, retailers, and buffet event caterers. Soaves products include Napoli Trays and Snowballs & Sponges, while their own products span soft serve, sorbets, vegan options, fresh and long life mix, sauces, wafers, toppings, and packaging accessories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soaves Ice Cream: Italian-style ice cream brand distributed by Crolla's since February 2023
• Jimmy Gelato
• Jimmy Gelato

Products and services

• Parlour Range Wholesale selection of traditional and innovative ice cream flavours for ice cream parlours and cafes, including After Dinner Mint, Baileys, Banoffee, Biscoff, Cookie Monster, Ferrero, Nutella, Pistachio, Salted Caramel, and various sorbets.
• Speciality Ice Creams Speciality ice creams for restaurants and cafes produced from traditional Italian recipes and supplemented with products from Europe's speciality dessert manufacturers, including After Dinner Mint, Apple Pie Ice Cream, Capriccio Bianco, Caramel Shortcake, Cassata, Chocolate Fantastica, Chocolate Mousse, Duchess Anne, Tiramisu Cup, Panna Cotta, and Limoncello Flute.
• Cakes & Desserts Wholesale cakes and desserts complementing the gelato range, including gateaux, pies, tray bakes, puddings, cheesecakes, and vegan cake options for parlours, cafes and restaurants.
• Buffet Range Bulk ice cream and frozen desserts for buffet and event caterers, including Jimmy Gelato 4-litre tubs, 10-litre tubs, Long Life Mix, buffet cakes, and topping syrups in 6kg and 625g sizes, with vegetarian options.
• Bulk Ice Cream Award-winning bulk ice cream available in large quantities from Crolla's Factory for wholesale foodservice and event use.
• Soaves Ice Cream Scottish-Italian ice cream brand owned by Crolla's since February 2023, offering the Soave family recipe and related products including Napoli Trays and Snowballs & Sponges for wholesale distribution.
• Retail Range Wholesale ice cream solutions for retailers, comprising Crolla Tubs, Jimmy Gelato Tubs, and Ice Lollies for shelf stocking and impulse purchase.
• Restaurants Range Diverse range of premium ice cream, frozen desserts and toppings for restaurants, including catering range, soft serve, Jimmy Gelato, sorbet, vegan options, fresh and long life mix, 10-litre tubs, sauces, wafers, toppings, decorations, and containers.
• Ice Cream Cafes & Dessert Parlours Range Wholesale product bundle for ice cream parlours and dessert cafes, including parlour range, vegan ice cream, 10-litre tubs, gateaux, pies, tray bakes, puddings, vegan cakes, cheesecakes, waffles, crepes, cookie dough, churros, donuts, milkshake, syrups, cones, wafers, tubs and packaging, cone dispensers, scoops and utensils.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SoavescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023Crolla's acquired Soaves ice cream business in February 2023. Soaves is an award-winning Scottish-Italian ice cream brand with origins dating back to the early 1950s in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire. The company produces the famous Soave recipe including favourites like Raspberry Ripple, Traditional Scottish Tablet, Honeycomb Sensation, and Vanilla Royale. Soaves products (Napoli Trays, Snowballs & Sponges) are now distributed through Crolla's wholesale network.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marshfield Farm Ice Cream: Wiltshire-based farm-dairy ice cream maker producing premium ice cream for wholesale, parlours and retailers across the UK. Direct comparable to Crolla's in scale, premium positioning and multi-channel B2B distribution.
• Jude's Ice Cream: UK premium ice cream brand based in Hampshire producing gelato-style ice cream for retail and foodservice. Comparable to Crolla's as an independent, design-led, premium-positioned UK manufacturer targeting similar foodservice and retail customers.
• Northern Bloc Ice Cream: Leeds-based artisan ice cream manufacturer producing gelato and sorbet for wholesale, foodservice and retail customers in the UK. Closely comparable product format, customer base and artisanal positioning to Crolla's.
• Bryher's Ice Cream: Cornwall-based artisan ice cream producer supplying wholesale to cafes, restaurants and retailers across the UK. Comparable regional artisanal manufacturer competing in similar foodservice and retail channels.
• Mackie's of Scotland: Family-owned Scottish dairy and ice cream producer based in Aberdeenshire, manufacturing and distributing premium ice cream across the UK. Direct competitor to Crolla's in the Scottish wholesale and foodservice channel with comparable heritage positioning.

Emerging players

• Oppo Brothers: UK premium 'indulgent yet better-for-you' ice cream brand sold through retail and foodservice. Overlaps with Crolla's premium positioning but targets a more health-positioned niche within the same foodservice and retail customers.
• La Gelatiera: UK-based artisan Italian gelato producer supplying wholesale to restaurants, cafes and hotels. Comparable to Crolla's in artisanal Italian-style gelato heritage and B2B foodservice customer base.

Regional players

• Graham's The Family Dairy: Scottish family-owned dairy producing milk, cream and ice cream for retail and foodservice across Scotland. Comparable in Scottish heritage and family-business profile; ice cream is a smaller line within a broader dairy portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Wall's (Unilever/Froneri): Iconic UK mass-market ice cream brand under Froneri (Unilever joint venture). Competes with Crolla's primarily in the retail and out-of-home channels, but at vastly greater scale and with much broader portfolio depth.
• R&R Ice Cream: One of the largest UK and European ice cream manufacturers and private-label producers, supplying retail and foodservice at scale. Comparable as an ice cream manufacturer but operates at materially greater scale than Crolla's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crollaicecream
• Facebookfacebook.com/crollaicecream
• Instagraminstagram.com/crollaicecream
• TikToktiktok.com/@crollaicecream
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crolla-ice-cream-company-ltd.-the-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Crolla’s Ice Cream