Hilton’s Ice Cream goes mass market with Millions sweets deal

Family-owned ice cream manufacturer Hilton’s Ice Cream has begun manufacturing to the mass market for the first time in the company’s history after striking a deal with a sweet manufacturer to make Millions Ice Cream.
Pino Nobile, owner of Hilton's Ice Cream, who has collaborated with the people who make Millions sweets to make Millions Ice Cream from his Bradford-based factory. Picture Tony JohnsonPino Nobile, owner of Hilton's Ice Cream, who has collaborated with the people who make Millions sweets to make Millions Ice Cream from his Bradford-based factory. Picture Tony Johnson
Pino Nobile, owner of Hilton's Ice Cream, who has collaborated with the people who make Millions sweets to make Millions Ice Cream from his Bradford-based factory. Picture Tony Johnson

The Bradford-based business, which usually makes own-label ice cream for restaurants, is now selling nationally and has just started exporting to Cyprus.

The company’s turnover was under £1m at the end of the last financial year but owner Pino Nobile hopes that following investment in the factory, the company will enter a significant growth period.

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“I want to expand further into the food service sector and the retail sector with the Millions ice cream,” he said.

Key to this growth was the appointment of sales and marketing director Michael Jaconelli who joined the firm after his family sold its Jaconelli ice cream business in Scarborough. Mr Nobile said: “Their business was a well established manufacturer in the foodservice sector and Michael brings experience that will help Hilton move into the next phase of it’s development.”

Hilton’s recently signed its first large scale customer - frozen food retailer Heron Foods, owned by B&M - which means the Millions ice cream is now available across the UK. It has a national distribution firm lined up for 2021 - Eden Farm Hulleys - and the firm is also in talks with other businesses.

Mr Jaconelli said: “Entering the retail sector was quite a coup for our little Bradford company.”

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The idea originally came out of a business planning/brainstorming session. Hilton’s approached Scottish confectionery firm Golden Casket, which makes the Millions sweets, and they agreed to allow them to manufacture ice cream using their sweets. “We spent a lot of time formulating the Millions recipe. It was technically quite challenging but we think we’ve made a good ice cream,” Mr Jaconelli said.

Hilton’s was established in 1929 and sold to Mr Nobile’s father in 1969 when the ice cream was predominantly sold through its fleet of ice cream vans. When Mr Nobile took over the business towards the end of the last century, he expanded into supplying the food service industry.

The firm employs seven full time staff and also draws from a pool of part time staff.

Looking ahead, Mr Jaconelli said: “We believe there is more potential in the Millions products and we also think there will be potential to expand into the Middle East.”

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