Organised by the Ice Cream Alliance · Entries close 1 December 2026
Entries and pricing

What it costs to enter

One price, every class. £60 plus VAT per entry, with free entries for Ice Cream Alliance members.

Per entry
£60.00
plus VAT, per class entered. £72.00 including VAT at 20%.
  • Blind judging by an expert panel of four
  • Detailed written feedback on every sample
  • Official 1 to 5 star rating where earned
  • Sample tubs and labels posted to you
  • Certificates and promotional materials for winners
  • Results published on this site and in Ice Cream magazine
Choose your classes

Entries closed on 1 December 2026.

Sample tubs and entry paperwork

How many entries can I make?

ClassEntries permittedStar rated
Best VanillaOne entry per businessYes
Best ChocolateOne entry per businessYes
Best StrawberryOne entry per businessYes
Best PistachioOne entry per businessYes
Best Open SorbetUnlimited entriesYes
Best InnovativeUnlimited entriesYes
Best Open FlavourUnlimited entriesYes
Best NewcomerOne entry per businessYes
Signature Soft Serve CreationUnlimited entriesYes
Products qualifying for Best Vanilla, Best Chocolate, Best Strawberry or Best Pistachio cannot also be entered into Best Open Flavour.
Member benefit

Free entries for ICA members

The awards are open to everyone, member or not. But Alliance membership pays for itself here before you count anything else it includes.

1 free
Standard membership
3 free
Corporate membership
Join the ICA
Payment and refunds. Payment must be made in full by credit or debit card at the time of entry, and unpaid entries will not be judged. No refunds are issued for entries that are withdrawn, not manufactured, not submitted or disqualified.
Enter the awards

Choose your classes and pay

Entries are taken through our secure online store. Add every class you want to enter to your basket, then check out by card. You will complete the entry details for each sample after payment.

£60 plus VAT per class entered. All nine classes are available, including Signature Soft Serve Creation.

Enter the awards and pay

Opens our secure store in a new tab. Card payment is handled by Ecwid; we never see your card details. Prefer to enter by telephone? Call the head office on 01332 203 333.

Questions

Frequently asked

The competition is open to all ice cream manufacturers and producers in the UK. Entrants must be registered as a Food Business with their Local Authority or the Food Standards Agency.
No. The Awards are open to everyone. Members of the Ice Cream Alliance benefit from free entries, one for Standard members and three for Corporate members.
No. Products that qualify for the dedicated flavour classes, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and pistachio, cannot also be entered into Best Open Flavour.
Confirmation of your entry, tubs for your samples and clear instructions for drop off. After the Awards, every entrant receives detailed judge feedback along with their official star rating.
Winners are announced at the Industry Awards Evening in March, with full results published online the following day. Feedback and star ratings are sent to all entrants shortly afterwards.
Yes. The Best Newcomer class is specifically for businesses producing ice cream for less than three years. Entries are star rated in the same way as every other class, with a stronger emphasis on constructive feedback to help you grow and develop.