More than half (55%) of Brits say summer is their favourite time of year, but how do we cope with these sweltering summer days?
A new survey reveals how we really feel about summer, with ice creams coming out on top as our heatwave saviour.
53% of Brits said getting too hot was their biggest summer pet peeve
However, 68% said an ice cream can make a heatwave more bearable
Vanilla (28%) was ranked as the UK’s favourite ice cream flavour
Chocolate flavours were also a hit: mint choc chip (22%) and chocolate (19%) ranked highly
Ice cream tastes differ across the generations – over-55s show a preference for rum and
raisin, while 16-24 year olds embrace ‘modern’ flavours such as bubblegum
Summer is well and truly here, and whether you’re staycationing or jet-setting to a far-flung destination, there’s a fair chance you’ll treat yourself to a sorbet or sundae or two. In fact, over two thirds (68%) of us agree that having an ice cream helps us feel more comfortable during a heatwave. As we face our hottest summer yet, ice creams have never been so important, so what really is the best ice cream flavour?
TX Maxx polled 2,000 respondents to get the inside scoop on the nation’s favourite ice cream. Vanilla came out on top (28%), followed by mint choc chip (22%) and chocolate (19%). It seems that Brits prefer sweeter flavours over fruity options, as coconut (8%), banana (8%), and cherry (5%) fell to the bottom of the ranking.
Vanilla was the top ice cream flavour among both men (29%) and women (28%). However, men ranked mint choc chip in second place (22%), while women chose salted caramel as their second favourite flavour (25%).
The survey revealed that while vanilla was the majority favourite, not all UK regions agreed. Most UK regions ranked vanilla as the most popular ice cream, and this was highest in Scotland (36%) and the East Midlands (32%). The only two regions not to vote vanilla as the top flavour were Northern Ireland who chose chocolate (24%), and Yorkshire and Humber where mint choc chip (31%) came out on top.
The survey also revealed some interesting generational differences when it comes to ice cream flavours. Over-55s showed a clear preference for traditional flavours such as rum and raisin (18%) and raspberry ripple (15%). However, among 16-24s these flavours were much less popular at 3% and 8%, respectively.
Youngsters were more likely to embrace modern, trendier flavours. 16-24 year olds love choc chip cookie dough (22%), cookies and cream (21%), and bubblegum (8%). However only 6% of over-55s chose cookie dough, 3% chose cookies and cream, and bubblegum was the least popular among over-55s at 2%.
www.tkmaxx.com/uk/en/discover/tk-maxx/insider/summer-of-big-wins