Artisan Ice Cream Investment and Profits

At RSS we are passionate about artisan ice cream – that is, ice cream made by hand in batches. Even if you have no prior catering experience, using just milk, cream and sugar you will be able to produce fantastic Italian gelato after less than a day’s training.

Using our personal experience RSS can provide you with a total design, supply and installation solution for your ice cream making laboratory as well as any retail areas. For more information on this, visit Design and Layout.

This page will give you a little more information on the artisan ice cream making process. For a more detailed introduction, why not book your place on one of our free ice cream demonstration days?

Production time

The smallest of ice cream equipment can yield a large amount of product. However, an excessive number of hours will have to be worked. Larger ice cream equipment will allow you to freeze multiple pans of one flavour in the same cycle time. The size of equipment you need will depend on what type of business you are planning (retail or wholesale), availability of 3-phase electricity and your budget.

The batch process

Making artisan ice cream is usually a two stage process. First you heat the ice cream mix ingredients together. Second you freeze the resulting ice cream mix together with your flavour in a batch freezer to form your finished ice cream.

Profit margins for artisan ice cream

• 3 litres of ice cream mix makes 4.5 litres (1 Napoli) pan of frozen ice cream due to approx. 40% air being added
• 1 litre of ice cream mix (70% milk) costs approx. £1.23 (including stabiliser and emulsifier).
• Total cost of 1 x 4.5 litre pan of plain ice cream is £3.69.
• 1 x 4.5 litre pan of ice cream will produce approximately 40 scoops of 75g.
• Retailing a single scoop at £1.30 each will generate £44.25 net of VAT.
• Gross profit is £40.56 per pan (based on 48p per litre of milk).

Optional storage and batch freezers

In Italy, all gelato is made fresh every morning. You may prefer to make and store your ice cream in a freezer prior to putting it on display. The Tekna storage freezers maximise capacity for 24, 48, 64 and 96 pans. Prices start from £2164 for a 24 pan version. Find out more about Tekna storage freezers.

Use a blast freezer to get your ice cream to reach –18C quickly and to ensure a better product quality when it is finally eaten. Prices range from £2300 for a 2 pan version. Find out more about the benefits of blast freezers.

Investment levels

Start-Up

• "All in one" or combination machines have the ability to cook ice cream mix and freeze ice cream at the same time in two separate compartments. These are ideal for customers wanting to test the market and a separate pasteuriser can be added at a later date to increase capacity.
• From £14,000 + VAT *

Low – up to 125 litres per day

• 30 litre pasteuriser – enough for 10 Napoli pans of ice cream per cycle (approx. 1.5 – 2 hours)
• 25 kg/hr batch freezer
• From £24,000 + VAT *

Medium

• 60 litre pasteuriser – enough for 20 Napoli pans of ice cream per cycle (approx. 1.5 – 2 hours)
• 40 kg/hr batch freezer
• From £31,000 + VAT *

High – up to 500 litres per day

• 120 litre pasteuriser – enough for 40 Napoli pans of ice cream per cycle (approx. 1.5 – 2 hours)
• 60 kg/hr batch freezer
• From £38,500 + VAT *

Expanding your artisan ice cream business

Expansion is easy with batch equipment. When you can no longer keep up with your production requirements in the time available, increase your capacity by upgrading to a larger machine or by simply buying another one to work alongside the equipment you already have. This second solution allows you more flexibility in your production rates and minimises any downtime you may have.

More information

• Download all this information and more in pdf format

Note: 3 phase electricity is usually required, however, we are now able to offer both 30 litre and 60 litre single phase pasteurisers. We also offer single phase batch freezers.

The prices quoted here include full service drawings, delivery, installation, training and technical support. Our service doesn’t stop when your equipment is delivered, either – we want our relationship to grow as your business develops and we provide ongoing support, advice and training through our Ice Cream Academy.

We can sell reconditioned equipment and also lease equipment – if you’d like to get more information and discuss this option, please get in touch.

Profit margins for soft ice cream

Per litre (1000ml)

14 portions of 70 gram pots per 1000ml.

Leasing terms (usual terms £36 per £1000 per month over 3 years)

Example

Cost of equipment

• Corema Garda 220P: £14,250 + VAT
• 3 year lease = £513 + VAT per month: £119 per week over 52 weeks

Sales needed to pay finance

Number of 70 gram ice cream portions = 157 portions per week over 52 weeks (11 cones per day over 14 days)

*prices current as of January 2010.