Lakenham Creamery

What Lakenham Creamery does

Lakenham Creamery, formerly trading as Aldous Ices, is a Norwich-based artisan ice cream and sorbet manufacturer founded in 1921. The company is privately held by Chris Coughlan, who has owned and operated the business since 1992, with a total team of five employees holding 69 years of combined craft experience. It produces a premium range under the Norfolk County brand and a heritage line under the Aldous name, and is documented as the only UK ice cream maker using exclusively fresh cream in its base mix, at an 80% cream ratio. Product credentials include 42 Gold Great Taste Awards and over 120 national awards, alongside SALSA food-safety certification and Co-op approved-supplier status.

The business manufactures in Norwich and distributes via an owned fleet of freezer vans directly to farm shops, delis, restaurants, cafés and event caterers across East Anglia and London. It also operates a factory shop in Norwich and, since 2025, a Deliveroo storefront for direct-to-consumer delivery. Wholesale supply to Co-op and other grocery accounts sits alongside catering supply and limited-edition co-developed products such as Norfolk Nog with The English Whisky Company and a planned 2026 Lemon Curd flavor with Wilkin & Sons (Tiptree).

Revenue mechanics are built on wholesale pricing to independent and national retail accounts, direct consumer sales through the factory shop and Deliveroo, and bespoke/event catering supply. The company is privately held with no institutional investment disclosed; in 2025 it rebranded from Aldous Ices to Lakenham Creamery, repositioning the umbrella identity around its Norwich provenance and premium creamery positioning, and exited its long-running Norwich Market stall as part of that shift.

Name

Lakenham Creamery

Legal name

Lakenham Creamery

Website

https://lakenhamcreamery.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Lakenham Creamery is a Norwich-based artisan ice cream manufacturer (founded 1921) producing fresh-cream ice cream and sorbet under the Norfolk County and Aldous brands, sold wholesale to farm shops, delis, restaurants and the Co-op across East Anglia and London, with direct-to-consumer sales via its factory shop and Deliveroo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Ice Cream Manufacturing

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE), Ice Cream & Frozen Dairy Wholesale (AFAIAEAF)

Keywords

• Artisan ice cream
• Fresh cream sorbets
• Catering ice cream supply
• Specialty food retail
• Traditional ice cream production

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream Sales: Sale of pre-packaged ice cream in various sizes to individual consumers through farm shops, delis, and direct factory shop purchases. Products include 130ml individual pots, 500ml luxury take-home tubs, and 2L tubs.
2. Catering/Hospitality Supply: B2B supply of ice cream to restaurants, cafés, and hospitality venues in 4L and 4.5L catering tubs.
3. Direct Delivery Service: Direct delivery of ice cream to stockists using company-owned freezer vans, eliminating third-party involvement in distribution.
4. Deliveroo E-commerce: Online sales through Deliveroo platform for direct-to-consumer delivery of full product range.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lakenham Creamery manufactures premium artisan ice cream and vegan sorbets in Norwich, Norfolk, using a traditional small-batch process with an 80% fresh cream base mix originally developed in 1921. The company sells under two heritage brands — Norfolk County (launched 1985) and Aldous — in retail formats (130ml pots, 500ml and 2L tubs) and catering formats (4L and 4.5L tubs), distributing through its own factory shop, farm shops, delis, restaurants, Deliveroo, and a fleet of freezer vans across East Anglia and London.

Product overview

Lakenham Creamery is a traditional ice cream manufacturer producing two distinct product lines: Norfolk County Fresh Cream Ice Cream (premium luxury brand introduced mid-1980s, made with only fresh cream and five simple ingredients) and Aldous Traditional Ice Cream (heritage brand established 1921 using the original family recipe). The company also produces vegan-friendly sorbets. Products are available in various sizes for retail (individual 130ml pots, 500ml take-home tubs) and catering (2L, 4L, 4.5L) channels, distributed through farm shops, delis, restaurants, and via Deliveroo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Norfolk County: Premium fresh cream ice cream brand launched in 1985. Uses only fresh cream (no stabilisers, emulsifiers, or artificial additives) with a focus on luxury, gourmet quality. The connoisseurs' choice known for high cream content and traditional small-batch methods.
• Aldous Ice Cream
• Lakenham Creamery Sorbets

Quantifiable outcome

• 42 Gold Great Taste Awards from Guild of Fine Food demonstrating exceptional taste quality
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TiptreecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Special collaboration between Norfolk County Ice Cream and historic Tiptree (preserving fruit since 1885). Created a Lemon Curd Ice Cream combining Tiptree's traditional recipes with Norfolk County's luxury ice cream craftsmanship. Celebrates generations of craft, care, and classic British flavour.
• Meadow FoodscoreOthersSupplier of Fresh Milk and Cream from East Anglia. Meadow Foods sources from direct supply farmers, many of whom they have worked with for over twenty years. All farms are approved members of The Red Tractor Dairy Scheme.
• Noble FoodscoreOthersSupplier of Egg Yolks. Noble Foods prioritises animal welfare at the cornerstone of everything they do, working in partnership with contract producers to ensure stress free, healthy and happy animals.
• DeliveroominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorE-commerce delivery partnership enabling customers to shop the full selection of Norfolk County and Aldous Ice Creams via the Deliveroo platform. Products packed by Lakenham Creamery team and delivered direct to customers' doorsteps.
• The English Whisky CominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create Norfolk Nog Ice Cream - a seasonal Christmas flavour combining English Whisky Co spirits with Norfolk County Ice Cream. Ideal pairing with Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jude's Ice Cream: Hampshire-based UK premium ice cream maker selling into grocery and foodservice with both branded and contract-manufactured lines. Highly comparable to Lakenham Creamery in product category (premium dairy ice cream), clean-label positioning, and UK retail + foodservice GTM, but at significantly larger national scale.
• Brymor Ice Cream: Yorkshire-based artisan ice cream producer with on-farm parlour, retail tubs, and catering supply. Directly comparable to Lakenham as a regional UK premium ice cream manufacturer serving independent retail and hospitality, though Brymor also runs a leisure/visitor attraction element.
• Northern Bloc Ice Cream: Leeds-based premium ice cream maker with strong Great Taste Award pedigree and listings in UK grocers and foodservice. Comparable to Lakenham on premium positioning, award-led marketing, and B2B catering supply, but operating at materially larger national scale.
• Mackie's of Scotland: Family-owned Scottish dairy that produces traditional ice cream alongside its crisps and dairy range. Closely comparable to Lakenham on family-ownership, traditional-recipe heritage, fresh-cream ice cream production, and farm-to-tub supply chain, but with substantially larger UK distribution.
• Booja-Booja: Norfolk-based (same county as Lakenham) organic, dairy-free premium ice cream maker sold through UK independents and grocery. Comparable as a Norfolk-rooted premium frozen dessert brand with strong ethical/clean-label positioning, although Booja-Booja is dairy-free rather than dairy-based.

Regional players

• Purbeck Ice Cream: Dorset-based regional ice cream maker focused on farm-to-tub premium ice cream and gelato for local retail, farm shops, and tourism. Comparable to Lakenham as a regional UK premium producer with farm-shop and visitor-led distribution, but with no overlap in East Anglia.
• New Forest Ice Cream: Hampshire-based family-run ice cream maker producing premium dairy ice cream for retail, catering, and farm-shop channels. Comparable to Lakenham in operating model and premium regional positioning, but concentrated in a different UK region.

Broad incumbents

• Kelly's of Cornwall: Long-established heritage UK ice cream brand (now part of Froneri/Nestlé-R&R joint venture) selling through national grocery and foodservice. Comparable to Lakenham as a UK traditional dairy ice cream brand, but at vastly larger scale and with corporate ownership and marketing firepower.
• Häagen-Dazs: Global super-premium ice cream brand owned by Nestlé, launched in the UK in 1988 (three years after Lakenham's Norfolk County range). Comparable to Lakenham as a premium-positioned ice cream brand targeting discerning consumers, but operating globally with vastly greater distribution and marketing resources.
• Ben & Jerry's: Unilever-owned premium and indulgence ice cream brand with mainstream UK grocery, scoop shop, and foodservice presence. Comparable to Lakenham in competing for the same premium UK ice cream shopper, but at massive scale with national marketing budgets and multi-sku innovation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lakenham-creamery-limited

Compliance4 records

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 Lakenham Creamery