Duck Island Ice Cream

What Duck Island Ice Cream does

Duck Island Ice Cream is a New Zealand-based artisan ice cream producer and retailer founded in 2015 in Hamilton East. The company manufactures small-batch, handcrafted ice cream, sorbets, ice cream cakes, sandwiches, pops, and sundaes using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, with an offering of approximately 50 flavors spanning dairy, dairy-free/vegan, and gluten-free options alongside rotating seasonal specials. It sells through a multi-channel model: nine owned scoop stores across New Zealand (Auckland x4, Wellington x2, Hamilton, Christchurch, Queenstown); wholesale pints and bulk tubs distributed to major supermarket and specialty banners; mobile event catering via the Duck Truck and Trailer; and a Shopify-powered online shop for branded merchandise and gift cards. Target customers include individual ice cream consumers, families seeking dietary-inclusive options, foodservice operators, and event organizers across New Zealand.

Revenue is generated through one-time transactions at retail (kids NZD $5.50, single NZD $8, double NZD $10.50, triple NZD $12.50, flights NZD $15, pints NZD $13, sandwiches NZD $10, milkshakes NZD $11, sundaes NZD $8–$15), custom ice cream cake orders (NZD $95, serves 12–16), gift cards (NZD $20–$200), merchandise (NZD $8–$52), event catering fees, and wholesale pint and 5L bulk tub distribution. Key brand and ingredient partnerships include Whittaker's (dairy-free chocolate range), Supreme Coffee (Coffee Chocolate Rubble flavor), and Taus Ceramic (servingware/merchandise crossover). The company is privately held, founder-owned, and bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or institutional investment in the source material.

Name

Duck Island Ice Cream

Legal name

Duck Island Ice Cream

Website

https://duckislandicecream.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Duck Island Ice Cream is a New Zealand-based artisan ice cream producer founded in 2015, operating 9 owned scoop stores across NZ, distributing pints wholesale to major supermarkets, and selling merchandise online. It serves individual consumers, foodservice operators, and event organizers with ~50 small-batch flavors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Ice Cream

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC)

Keywords

• Artisanal ice cream
• Small-batch desserts
• Handcrafted gelato
• Ice cream parlours
• Frozen desserts retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamilton

HQ country

Bermuda

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. In-store Scoop Sales: Direct retail sales of scoops, sundaes, milkshakes, floats, and ice cream sandwiches at 9 physical scoop store locations across New Zealand.
2. Retail Pints: Pre-packaged pint containers sold both in-scoop stores and through wholesale distribution to supermarkets and specialty food stores nationwide.
3. Merchandise and Gift Cards: Online shop selling branded merchandise including ceramic cups, caps, totes, enamel pins, ice cream scoops, and pint coolers. Gift cards sold in physical and online formats.
4. Event Catering: Hire of mobile Duck Truck and Trailer for private events, weddings, and corporate functions with on-site scooping service.
5. Custom Ice Cream Cakes: Made-to-order ice cream cakes with customizable flavour combinations, available for pickup at Hamilton East store only.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Duck Island Ice Cream produces and retails small-batch, handcrafted ice cream, sorbet, ice cream cakes, sandwiches, pops, sundaes, and branded merchandise. The company operates 9 owned scoop stores across New Zealand, distributes take-home pints through national supermarket and specialty food retailers, sells merchandise and gift cards via an online shop, and offers mobile event catering (Duck Truck and Trailer) for weddings and corporate functions.

Product overview

Duck Island Ice Cream is a New Zealand artisan ice cream company founded in 2015, operating physical scoop stores and an online shop. The core product portfolio includes: scoop store ice cream service (scoops, sundaes, milkshakes, floats), take-home Pints, frozen Pops (ice cream on a stick), Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Custom Ice Cream Cakes. They offer approximately 50 flavours including dairy and vegan options, with seasonal special flavours rotated in scoop stores. Additional revenue streams include branded Merchandise (cups, apparel, accessories) and Gift Cards. The company is headquartered in Hamilton, New Zealand, with 9 scoop stores across Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch, and Queenstown.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scoop Store Ice Cream Service Physical retail ice cream parlour service offering scoops in Single ($8), Double ($10.50), Triple ($12.50), and Flight ($15 for 8 small scoops) sizes, plus sundaes ($8-$15), milkshakes ($11), floats, ice cream sandwiches ($10), and pops. Available across 9 store locations in Auckland (Ponsonby, Newmarket, Takapuna, Britomart), Wellington (Cuba Street, Willis Lane), Hamilton East, Christchurch, and Queenstown.
• Ice Cream Flavours Small-batch artisanal ice cream and sorbet available in approximately 50 flavours including dairy and vegan options. Includes Pecan Butterscotch, Coffee Chocolate Rubble, Vanilla Bean, Boysenberry Cheesecake, Salted Chocolate Brownie, Fairy Bread, Ambrosia, Mint Chip, and rotating seasonal specials made with locally grown produce.
• Take-Home Pints Pre-packaged 472ml pint containers of ice cream priced at $13 each in scoop stores. Available flavours include Toasted Marshmallow, Ambrosia, Milk Chocolate Fudge, Pecan Butterscotch, Vanilla Bean, and vegan options. Distributed nationally to Farro, Moore Wilsons, Woolworths, New World, PAK'n SAVE, Four Square, Fresh Choice, Super Value, Vetro, and Raeward Fresh.
• Ice Cream Pops Frozen ice cream pops on a stick dipped in chocolate. The Peanut Butter Chocolate Pop features peanut butter ice cream with a caramel centre, dipped in milk chocolate and peanut rubble. Available at all Duck Island scoop stores.
• Ice Cream Sandwiches Handmade ice cream sandwiches priced at $10 each, including S'mores, Choc PB&J (vegan with coconut chocolate ice cream), Cookies & Cream, Fairy Bread, and Mint Choc flavours. Available in scoop stores and through wholesale at Moore Wilson's and Farro.
• Custom Ice Cream Cakes Custom made-to-order ice cream cakes priced at $95, serving 12-16 people, with up to 3 customisable flavour combinations. Available for order online with pickup from Hamilton East store, requiring 3 working days notice.
• Mobile Event Catering (Duck Truck and Trailer) Mobile event catering service offering the Duck Truck and Trailer for hire at private events, weddings, and corporate functions with on-site scooping service.
• Foodservice Bulk Tubs 5 litre bulk tubs of ice cream available for supply to restaurants, cafes, and dessert venues for use in their dessert menus.
• Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise sold via Shopify online shop, including Duck Island x Taus Ceramic Cup ($52), Ice Cream Scoop ($20), Pint Cooler ($35), Duck Cap ($40), Duck Tub enamel pin ($8), Ice Cream Cone pin ($20), and There's Always Room Tote bag. Ships to New Zealand and Australia.
• Gift Cards Physical gift cards loadable with amounts between $20 and $200, valid for 12 months from the loading date. Redeemable at all physical Duck Island scoop stores but not for online purchases.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 entries received in Flavour Creators competition, demonstrating strong brand engagement with community
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Supreme CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with coffee legends Supreme to create Coffee Chocolate Rubble flavour. Rich coffee ice cream swirled with fudgy chocolate and dark chocolate cookie crumbles, made using Supreme coffee.
• Whittaker'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Whittaker's Dark Ghana chocolate used in Coconut Chocolate vegan ice cream and Coconut Caramel Sesame Chocolate Peanuts. Key ingredient partner for dairy-free chocolate offerings.
• Taus CeramicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLimited edition collaboration creating Duck Island x Taus Ceramic cups. Hand-stamped ceramic diner cups designed by Taus Ceramic, fired in Tim's rural Waipapa studio in Te Tai Tokerau Northland.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ben & Jerry's: Global premium ice cream brand (Unilever) with flavour innovation and values-driven positioning. Comparable on premium supermarket pint distribution and flavour novelty, but at vastly greater scale.
• Baskin-Robbins: Global ice cream chain with thousands of scoop stores. Comparable on multi-location scoop shop retail model, though positioned at value-premium rather than artisanal-premium.
• Tip Top: New Zealand's largest mass-market ice cream brand, owned by Froneri. Competes with Duck Island through supermarket pint distribution but at a different price tier and brand positioning.
• Häagen-Dazs: Global premium ice cream brand (General Mills) occupying the upscale scoop and pint space. Comparable on premium positioning and presence in NZ supermarket channels.

Direct peers

• Kapiti Ice Cream: NZ premium dairy and ice cream brand, part of the Kapiti Cheeses lineage. Comparable as a NZ-based premium dessert brand distributed through supermarkets and specialty retail with local-ingredient positioning.
• Giapo: Auckland-based premium artisanal ice cream maker operating scoop stores and known for creative, chef-driven flavours. Closest direct peer given overlapping NZ premium positioning, experiential retail, and flavour-led differentiation.
• Patagonia NZ: New Zealand artisan ice cream brand with emphasis on local provenance and small-batch production. Comparable in scale, premium positioning, and NZ-origin story.
• New Zealand Natural: Established NZ premium ice cream brand with broad supermarket and foodservice distribution. Comparable on wholesale footprint and pint retail strategy.

Emerging players

• Salt & Straw: US craft ice cream maker with scoop shops and cult flavour rotation. Comparable on small-batch artisanal positioning, chef-led flavour development, and experiential retail, though operating in a different geography.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: US-based premium artisanal ice cream brand known for direct-to-consumer pint shipping and distinctive flavours. Comparable on DTC e-commerce strength, flavour innovation, and premium pricing model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/duckislandnz
• Facebookfacebook.com/Duck-Island-Ice-Cream-1430802480556189
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duck-island-ice-cream

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Duck Island Ice Cream