Ice cream producer the Magnum Ice Cream Company has been listed in London, Amsterdam and New York, as European producer Glacier finds the European ice cream market worth €18.7 billion.

Unilever announced that on 6th December it completed the demerger of its ice cream business, which is now known as the Magnum Ice Cream Company.

Trading in London, New York and Amsterdam commenced on 8th December, with Unilever shareholders having previously approved the consolidation of ordinary shares in Unilever in connection with the demerger.

This comes as Magnum recently invested £50 million into its Gloucester ice cream factory, claiming the upgrade would increase production capacity and enhance efficiency.

The European ice cream market

Private-label and contract-manufactured ice cream producer Glacier produces around 300 million litres of ice cream a year across its sites in France, Italy and Belgium, and has achieved revenues of €575 million. According to Glacier, the European retail ice cream market was valued at €18.7 billion in 2024.

It said this was the largest global ice cream market, and it was expected to “grow steadily” at around 2.6% a year to 2030. The UK, Germany and France collectively represent 48% of the total market value, and private labels achieved shares of €4.6 billion, which was around 25% of total retail market value.

Matt Frost, executive director of Glacier, said: “Europe’s ice cream market is showing impressive resilience, with strong momentum and forecasted long-term growth. Consumers are no longer just enjoying an ice cream in the summer months; this is an all-year opportunity. This is in part due to the rise of at-home occasion dining, but also as consumers look to treat themselves.

“This goes for both the classic designs and flavours, alongside the premium innovations, too. As we enter the festive season and into 2026, this appetite for ice cream continues.”