Weather in Poland might be freaky this year – the country has been a cold-ish blob in the otherwise red-hot European heatwave in July – but local ice-cream producers are not complaining.

Poland recorded the highest increase in ice cream production across the European Union in 2024, Eurostat said on July 29.

According to the statistics agency, ice cream makers in the EU produced a total of 3.3bn litres this year, up 2% from 3.2bn litres in 2023. But among the five leading producers, only Poland raised output, reaching 298mn litres – a huge increase of 29% year on year.

Poland is a major ice-cream exporter, too. According to 2023 data from UN Comtrade, the United Nations’ trade data hub, Poland was the world’s fourth-biggest ice-cream exporter with a market share of 8.84%, just ahead of Italy at 8.78% and Spain at 8.23%.

Polish ice-cream companies are typically family affairs – some with a history dating back decades – and none listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Koral, Zielona Budka or Grycan are some of the long-standing market leaders, offering a rich variety of lody na patyku (ice cream on a stick), lody familijne (family-size boxes) or ice-cream scoops from branded stands, especially popular (and expensive) in busy tourist locations. Some brands, like Lody Bambino, have been popular since the communist era.

 

The multinationals are also well established. Algida belongs to FMCG giant Unilever and makes the well-known international brands Magnum, Cornetto, and Big Milk, which are top sellers. General Mills' Häagen-Dazs is also present.

Poland is starting to challenge Italy’s centuries-old reputation as the home of ice cream. Just over 80% of Poland’s ice-cream output was sold elsewhere in Europe, with Germany, France, and the UK biggest markets. Chief non-European markets include the US, Australia, Colombia.

While Poland expanded production, France saw a 12% drop compared to 2023. Output in Italy declined by 7%, in Spain by 6%, and in Germany by 1%, according to Eurostat.

Other notable increases outside the top five included Belgium, up 35%, Bulgaria up 19%, and the Czech Republic up 15%.

Germany remained the EU’s top producer with 607mn litres in 2024, followed by France with 501mn litres and Italy with 492mn litres. Spain ranked fourth with 378mn litres, ahead of Poland in fifth place.

In recent years there has been a boom in natural, artisanal ice creams (lody rzemieślnicze), with many small gelaterias offering daily-changing, preservative-free flavours.

While classic flavours like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry dominate, Poland also offers distinctive flavours, popular with the locals such as mak (poppy seed), śliwka (plum and cinnamon), ogórek z cytryną (cucumber with lemon) and śmietana (sour cream), which is popular all over Eastern Europe. Vodka or beer-infused ice creams are occasionally found in novelty shops or at festivals.