New-to-market ice brand Ice3 has launched branded ice balls into retail and is to take to television in a bid to tap into growing interest in at-home mixology.
The brand has launched its ice balls into Tesco and will roll the proposition into Iceland stores from next month.
The slow-dilution balls (rsp: £2.75/600g) are billed as an upmarket alternative to traditional ice cubes and aimed at budding mixologists, as well as for making iced coffee and other non-alcoholic drinks at home.
Their launch will be supported by a social media push and what Whole Ice claims is a first ever TV advertising campaign for any ice brand in the UK.
The spot will debut on Netflix, ITV and Amazon ahead of Christmas.
The Ice3 brand – which originated in Italy and is currently produced by in Spain by pan-European ice manufacturing group Procubitos – will be distributed in the UK by Whole Ice.
The Welsh business, founded in 2016 by former Ice Company MD Paul Doughty, also supplies own-label ice – including ice balls – to other major UK retailers.
“Creativity in ice has historically been quite limited,” said Doughty. “When I started out in the industry 16 years ago we basically sold low-cost packs of traditional ice cubes.
“After adding Super Cubes and Crushed Ice to the market a few years ago, and now Ice Balls, we are pleased to be expanding the market for both retailers and consumers.”
After selling an equity stake to Procubitos last year, Whole Ice was currently in the process of constructing a new 36,000 sq ft ice factory in Deeside – scheduled for completion next year – Doughty revealed.
The new site would increase Whole Ice’s ice manufacturing capacity fourfold, and enable the supplier to bring further NPD including flavoured ice and ‘ice cups’ – single-use plastic cups filled with ice for chilling ready-to-drink products on the move – to market in 2026, he added.
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