Taywell Ice Creams will launch its newly formulated real, dairy ice cream brand ‘Sweet Rebellion’ at the International Food & Drink Event on March 22nd 2015 as a complete ‘Free from’ brand. The range of 6 flavours will include 5 lactose-free, gluten-free, calorie-reduced, processed sugar-free vegetarian ice creams, together with one that contains all of these but is dairy-free as well. This is a world first as there is no dairy ice cream on the market which ticks all of these boxes so neatly, yet delivers a fabulous taste of authentic ice cream.
If it doesn’t have fresh milk and cream, it isn’t ice cream. So says Taywell Ice Creams. Yet, despite the new standard created by The Ice Cream Alliance to counter the abolition by the EU in December of the 100 year old UK law defining what is and what isn’t ice cream http://www.ice-cream.org/media/ica-code-of-practice.htm, numerous brands have decided to ignore it. They call their soya, almond oil, vegetable oil or coconut milk product ‘ice cream.’ Taywell hasn’t followed the herd.
The company has spent two years working on the formulation and has managed to remove 70-75% of all sugars, including natural ones, and 45% from the calories. Fat levels have dropped between 30-60% yet the delicious mouthfeel of good quality ice cream remains and the tubs can be scooped straight from the freezer.
Managing Director and owner Alastair Jessel said, “It has been a long journey and one of the hardest parts was to create the product range lactose-free so that many of us coeliacs, who are lactose intolerant too, can now eat an ice cream without having to suffer the after-effects.” He added, “I have created a ‘Free from’ range to meet almost everyone’s needs. The genuine scare over sugar and the threat of a tax on it makes choosing Sweet Rebellion an obvious choice.”
The recommended retail price has been set at £5.25 for a 500ml tub and the first set of retail flavours will be Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate Hazelnut, Pistachio and Dairy Free Raspberries & Cream. Caramel Cream, Japanese Green Tea, mint Choc Chip and Dairy Free Strawberry will also be available in restaurants. The range will be sold in foodservice, independents and health shops throughout London, the South East and the Midlands from April. Taywell is hoping to persuade at least one supermarket to list it.
Despite the lack of any taste difference between normal and lactose-free ice cream, Sweet Rebellion will only carry the message of ‘Lactose Free’ clearly marked on its Chocolate flavour. With memories of the negative perception of gluten-free products some ten years ago and the refusal of consumers to choose them for fear of quality issues, four of the flavours will carry the lactose-free message in a more discreet way. The use of the words ‘lactose-free’ by many other new brands using soy, nut oil or coconut milk has also debased the term and added confusion to the eyes of consumers.
And these are not the only added benefits of eating Sweet Rebellion dairy ice cream. The ice creams also contain good quantities of calcium, vitamins A, B2, B12, E and especially significant amounts of fibre. The product range is probiotic, is kind to one’s teeth and allows lactose intolerant consumers a chance to eat ice cream again. It is now believed that higher quantities of vitamin B12 aids brain function and slows the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Sadly, these claims cannot be mentioned on front of pack.
Taywell Ice Creams has set a new standard that will be hard to beat and has thrown down the gauntlet to other brands to show that going dairy-free or using coconut milk or nut oil does not deliver the true, exhilarating taste of dairy ice cream.
