To serve a group at a festival, first decide how many portions you need and how you’ll keep the ice lollies cold until serving time. Mini assortments make it easy to serve smaller portions and offer a choice of flavours, while a larger individual lolly is a better fit if everyone is expecting a more substantial dessert. Check the ingredients and allergens for the exact product you buy before relying on an assortment to suit all your guests.
Who is this choice for?
Organisers who need to keep ice lollies cold
If there’s a journey or a wait before serving, make sure you have a cool bag or cool box and suitable storage at the venue. The DGCCRF recommends keeping the time frozen products spend in transit to a minimum.
People serving individual portions
For a buffet, knowing how many lollies are in each box helps you plan how many to serve. Depending on the product, assortments from Magnum, Carrefour Extra and Auchan contain six or eight pieces in different sizes.
Groups with guests who need to avoid allergens
Check the ingredients for the exact product before buying. Recipes from Carrefour Extra, Auchan and Magnum may contain milk, soya, almonds or other nuts.
What should you check before buying?
Assorted mini lollies
Choose these if: you want to serve smaller portions while offering a few different flavours in one box.
Bear in mind: a smaller portion may not be enough for anyone expecting a more substantial dessert; check the allergens in each assortment.
Larger individual lollies
Choose these if: each lolly is meant to be a dessert in its own right, rather than a small buffet portion.
Bear in mind: a larger size gives guests less flexibility if they’d simply like to try a few different flavours.
Fruit-flavoured options
Choose these if: you want to complement chocolate-based recipes with water ice lollies or fruit sorbets.
Bear in mind: “fruit-flavoured” doesn’t describe a single set of ingredients or guarantee that a product is suitable for specific dietary requirements. Read the label for each product.
| Criteria |
What to check |
Who is it for? |
| Keeping them cold |
Read the storage instructions and plan to use a cool bag or cool box for the journey. |
If I need to transport the ice lollies or wait before serving them, I want to be able to keep them cold during that time. Around 31% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Ingredients and allergens |
Check the ingredients list, allergens and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the packaging you buy. |
If a guest needs to avoid an ingredient, I need to be able to identify which recipe I’ll serve them. This is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Number of portions |
Compare the number of pieces per box and the stated size of each lolly; don’t confuse grams with millilitres. |
To give everyone a lolly, I need to count the individual pieces rather than the boxes. Around 25% of consumers put this calculation at the top of their list. |
| Flavours and dessert size |
Choose an assortment, a larger portion or a fruit-flavoured recipe to suit the group’s preferences. |
If the group wants a choice of flavours, I want to offer variety without making everyone have the same size dessert. Variety is the top priority for around 19% of consumers. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Buying the ice lollies at the start of your shop
This adds to the time they spend outside a cold environment, even before you travel to the festival. The DGCCRF advises buying frozen products at the last minute and keeping their time in transit to a minimum.
Arrange to collect them just before you set off, use insulated equipment and make sure suitable storage is available at the venue.
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Counting boxes instead of lollies
Assortments from Magnum, Carrefour Extra and Auchan contain six or eight pieces, depending on the product, so one box won’t always provide the same number of portions.
Start with the number of people you need to serve, then check the number of pieces and the portion size on each pack.
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Relying on the flavour name to check for allergens
A vanilla and chocolate recipe or an assortment may also contain almonds or carry a warning about traces of other allergens, depending on the product.
Keep the packaging handy until serving time so you can show guests the ingredients list for the product you’re serving.
Brands to know for these formats
Magnum
Magnum offers a six-piece mini assortment of Classic, Almond and White Chocolate, as well as a Mint product in 100 ml portions.
- The three recipes in the mini assortment let you offer several flavours in one box.
- Check the ingredients and allergens for the product you choose, particularly for milk and nuts.
Carrefour Extra
Carrefour offers an assortment of eight mini lollies, each weighing 32 g.
- The eight-piece count makes it easier to work out how many portions to serve.
- The listed ingredients for this assortment include milk, soya and almonds. Check the packaging for any ‘may contain’ warnings too.
Auchan
Auchan offers an assortment of eight mini lollies with different chocolate coatings, including an almond variety.
- The box brings together several recipes.
- Some varieties contain milk and almonds, so check the ingredients before serving them to guests who need to avoid these.
Ice lollies available on Joybuy
These products offer several ways to serve individual ice lollies: boxes of assorted smaller portions, fruit-flavoured recipes and lollies in different sizes. For your festival, compare the number of pieces with the number of guests you’re expecting, and check the labels and storage requirements before serving.
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CAPRI-SUN Orange & Cherry, 12 ice lollies
For serving individual portions in orange and cherry flavours. The box contains 12 lollies, with a stated total weight of 444 g. Check the allergen information on the packaging and make sure you can keep them cold.
View on Joybuy
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Magnum Mini Classic, Almond & White Chocolate, x6
An assortment of mini lollies for offering a choice of recipes at a buffet. The box contains six pieces and weighs 254 g in total. Check the allergens and the portion size you’re after on the packaging.
View on Joybuy
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Solero Berry, 4 ice lollies, 90 ml each
For serving an individual dessert combining vanilla and red berries, rather than a water ice lolly. The box contains four 90 ml portions. Check the label if a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients.
View on Joybuy
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POP POLO Water Ice Lollies, 5 flavours, x10
A water ice option for serving the group a choice of flavours. The pack contains ten pieces and weighs 700 g in total. Check the size of each portion and the allergen information on the packaging.
View on Joybuy
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Binggrae Melona Coconut, 8 ice lollies, 70 ml each
For offering an individual portion in coconut flavour. The box contains eight 70 ml lollies. Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging before serving them to your guests.
View on Joybuy
Frequently asked questions
How should I transport ice lollies to the festival?
Pick up frozen products last, transport them in a cool bag or cool box and keep the journey as short as possible, as the DGCCRF recommends. Once you arrive, follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
Is a vanilla and chocolate assortment always suitable for people with nut allergies?
No. Some assortments from Carrefour Extra and Auchan contain almonds, and ‘may contain’ warnings vary by product. Read the packaging for the product you’re actually serving rather than relying on the flavour names.
How can I work out how many boxes I need for a festival?
Start with the number of portions you want to serve, then check how many lollies are listed on each box. Check their size too: the six 55 ml Magnum mini lollies and the eight 32 g Carrefour Extra mini lollies use different units of measurement and come in different pack sizes.
What storage instructions should I follow before serving?
Follow the temperature and instructions on the packaging for each product. If you’ll need to transport the lollies or wait before serving them, plan ahead and make sure you have the equipment needed to keep them cold until serving time.