Fresh ice cream beckons in the ice cream parlors. Inflation and the energy crisis have caused ball prices to rise. But there are other reasons why eating ice cream used to be less expensive.
Her gaze wanders over the colorful ice cream flavors in a highly concentrated manner. Strawberry, Cookies, Amarena. She stands on tiptoe and is just tall enough to look into the ice cream parlor display case. Charlotte has come with her mother to choose a ball.
“My favorite thing is chocolate in a croissant,” she says, pressing her finger to the glass. Mother Antonia has to pay 1.70 euros for this here in Cologne. “That’s a lot of money, and we don’t do that all the time. But the sun came out today and we wanted to treat ourselves to an ice cream,” says Antonia.
Increased costs are passed on
It used to be cheaper, says the 40-year-old. And so there is now less ice cream for the family. Matteo Bianchi stands behind the counter and hands Charlotte the chocolate ice cream. The prices should go up, he explains. “Rents have risen, we are feeling the electricity costs and, of course, the costs for materials such as milk, waffles and sugar.”
Everything is done by hand in the Cologne ice cream parlor, and it has to be worth it. Therefore, they would have increased the ball price by 20 cents for this season.
Was ice cream too cheap in the past?
In the mid-1980s, a scoop of ice cream cost 30 cents in many places in western Germany. “Back then, ice cream was too cheap, they couldn’t have made big business,” says Gerhard Schenk, President of the German Confectioners’ Association, looking back. The association is also responsible for homemade ice cream. According to Schenk, the prices today would be calculated in a tough manner.
In contrast to the freezer compartment in the supermarket, fresh products play a greater role in the delicacies from the ice cream parlour. “The quality has increased significantly,” says Gerhard Schenk. And good ingredients cost money. The ball from the ice cream parlor consists of up to 70 percent milk and almost ten percent cream, which in turn is made from milk, explains Uniteis, the association of Italian ice cream makers in Germany. “The idea that ice cream should be dirt cheap is just unrealistic,” says Annalisa Carnio of Uniteis.
Balls got bigger
Ice balls are also larger today than they used to be. A ball today weighs an average of 80 to 100 grams, explains Annalisa Carnio. In the 1960s, on the other hand, a bullet weighing 25 to 30 grams was standard.
In the Cologne ice cream parlor, Charlotte happily licks her chocolate ice cream. “Unfortunately, we have to pass some of the increased prices on to customers,” says ice cream confectioner Bianchi. “It’s crazy that our spaghetti sundae costs eight euros.” Actually, they didn’t want to increase the prices, but they too have to calculate and absorb the higher producer prices.
Overall, according to the Federal Statistical Office, producer prices for ice cream rose by almost 30 percent from 2022 to 2023. Many small businesses have always kept the price low in recent years. “With the bitter result of having to close the shop,” says Uniteis spokeswoman Carnio. “If you don’t sell the ball more expensive, your ice cream parlor will close very soon.”
German ice cream cheap in comparison
Ice cream in Germany is relatively cheap. “Germany still has the best price-performance ratio, but nobody seems to know it, let alone appreciate it.” The ball price in Spain, Italy or France is now between three and 4.50 euros. In addition, the ice cream parlors have changed: While in the past the family would often have helped out free of charge, owners now pay their employees minimum wage.
Ice cream confectioner Bianchi looks proudly at his colorful display case. The quality, the fun of making ice cream and the consumption should not suffer despite the crisis. “We are currently trying out the cappuccino variety. Many people will like it – even for 1.70 euros,” says Bianchi.
Charlotte and her mother leave the ice cream parlor with their ice cream in hand. “We simply like it very much here,” says mother Antonia. “We are regular guests and will of course come back. We won’t let the increased prices spoil our enjoyment.”