Organised by the Ice Cream Alliance · Entries close 1 December 2026
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Enter the awards
A judge marking a scoring sheet with a pen
For ice cream lovers

Why you can
trust the rating

No entry fee buys a star. Here is exactly how a tub of ice cream earns one.

The judges cannot see the brand

Samples arrive in identical tubs with a pre applied code label and nothing else. No logos, no handwriting, no packaging. A producer who marks their tub is disqualified. The judges score what is in the pot and only that.

Eight experts, not one opinion

Judging is done by two panels of four. They include technical food specialists, master gelato makers, a supermarket product developer and a head judge with over forty years of experience. Each scores independently before any total is worked out.

Scored out of 400

Each judge marks a sample out of 100 points, so a sample carries a maximum of 400 across the panel. Ratings are then set by how close a sample came to the top score in its class, not by a fixed pass mark.

The three things judged

What the judges are actually tasting for

Three criteria, weighted so that flavour matters most. That is deliberate: an ice cream that looks beautiful and tastes ordinary should not beat one that tastes extraordinary.

How it looksUp to 10

Is the colour natural and true to the flavour? Is it neat and even, without ingredients separating out where they should not?

How it feelsUp to 20

Smooth and silky, or grainy and icy? Good ice cream holds its shape when scooped and melts pleasantly. Sandy, gritty, buttery or gummy textures lose marks.

How it tastesUp to 70

The biggest score by far. Is the flavour balanced and accurate? Do the ingredients work together? Are there any off notes? Would you want a second spoonful?

Five stars against three

What actually separates them

Ratings are relative to the best sample in that class, which is a tougher test than it sounds. A three star ice cream reached at least 92% of the top score in a national competition. That is a good ice cream by any measure.

A five star ice cream reached 95% or more. At that level the differences are small and specific: a cleaner flavour, a finer texture, no compromise anywhere. Judges describe it as harmony, everything working at once.

And below 85% of the top score, nothing is rated at all. A producer can pay to enter and come away with no stars. That is what makes the mark worth something.

Find rated ice cream
Questions

Fair questions to ask

They pay to enter, as with any competition, and that fee covers judging, feedback, sample tubs and administration. It does not buy a rating. Entries that do not reach 85% of the top score in their class receive feedback and no stars at all.
No. Every sample is anonymised before judging. Any entry bearing a name, mark or identifier is disqualified.
No. Ratings are awarded to a specific flavour in a specific class. A producer cannot apply a rating earned by their vanilla to a different product.
Products entered must be identical in recipe and standard to those sold commercially. If a product is altered, the right to use the award label or logo is withdrawn.
Annually. Entries close at the start of December, judging takes place in February, and winners are announced at the Industry Awards Evening in March.