An ice cream truck in the south UK was spotted displaying a vegan ice cream cone by UK dairy-free ice cream brand Swedish Glace.“The world has officially changed,” tweeted the Veganuary campaign.“Ice cream vans get vegan option.”
The accompanying photo shows a lone vegan Caramel Toffee ice cream cone by Swedish Glace, a vegan ice cream brand with products that can be found at major UK supermarket chains like Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, and more. The dairy-free option features a scoop of caramel toffee soy-based ice cream perched atop a cone, encased in a chocolate shell. Prior to its UK ice cream truck, the vegan ice cream cone was a Tesco exclusive.
Veganuary asked its followers if anyone else had spotted the vegan ice cream cone. One user said that she spotted it at an ice cream truck in Jersey while another said she saw it at a country park in Nottingham. Another said she found it at a cafe in Devon.
Ice Scream! ?
Spotted in the south of the UK? Anyone else had the pleasure? ? pic.twitter.com/mmeXxcNUHc
— VEGANUARY (@WeAreVeganuary) May 12, 2018
While these vans aren’t the first to serve vegan ice cream alongside dairy options (artisanal ice cream Van Leeuwen sells plant-based scoops out of its trucks in the U.S.), vegan ice cream at UK ice cream trucks is yet another sign of the times. With the global vegan ice cream market projected to reach a staggering $2.5 billion within the next decade, companies—and now, mobile ice cream trucks—are catching up to consumer demand. Traditional ice cream brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Haagen-Dazs, and low-calorie cult favorite Halo Top have all released vegan versions of popular flavors. NadaMoo!, a plant-based ice cream brand based in Texas, recently received $4 million in investment in order to expand to more grocery stores across the United States.
As of right now, only a few vans carrying Swedish Glace vegan ice cream cones have been spotted, but with summer just around the corner and demand for nondairy desserts continue to increase, there’s likely to be a lot more vegan options available this ice cream season.
Image Credit: Matt Harrop