Ismageriet

With Procudan Blends, Ismageriet has a solution that provides fewer errors, greater uniformity and more storage space, so that customers can buy their freshly made ice cream in more locations.

Need for scalable ice production

Ismageriet (The Ice Cream Factory) is a fast-growing producer of ice cream with two stores and online sales directly to consumers. The ambition is to become the preferred supplier of ice cream for any occasion.

For Ismageriet, it is important to produce ice cream of a high quality by using good raw materials and producing continuously, so that the ice cream is always fresh and soft. Initially, all production took place with milk, heat treatment and ice production at the point of sale. It took up a lot of space for warehouse and production, so when they were expanding with a new store, the founder of Ismageriet, Kim Simonsen, began to rethink his production setup.

- We sold really well, and it started to be a challenge to have space to make the mix in the shops ourselves. In addition, we weighed many things all the time. We do everything in small batches, and when you do it and you are busy, mistakes happen sometimes. So we wanted to improve that process, says Kim Simonsen.

Sometimes, the actual ice production also created challenges. The machines for mixing ice were not powerful enough to stir the dry ingredients. If they were not blended well enough with the mixture of milk and cream, it would float on top during heating.

- You have to be careful with that, says Kim Simonsen.

Delivery of ready-mixed blend

The solution was to outsource the basic part of the production. In collaboration with a dairy, Ismageriet receives ready-to-use mixtures from Procudan, which fit the ice machines in the shops. It has provided more space as large machines for cooling and producing mix are no longer needed.

- We wanted to get the basic ingredients weighed, so you just had to open one thing and add milk and cream. It requires a long phasing-in period with both dry and wet ingredients, to get the optimal process in place. In that process, you also find out if the partner can deliver on time and keep what they promise, says Kim Simonsen.

Through an open dialogue, Procudan and Ismageriet have jointly found the solution that provides the most value. Compared to before, the new solution offers some clear benefits to Ismageriet's production and business.

Today, the production process is more standardized and has solved the scaling challenges as Ismageriet's business has grown. It is easier for the employees to make ice cream and the result is more uniform.

- The margin of error today is smaller because it is weighed and mixed, says Kim Simonsen, who makes no secret of the fact that price and quality must be linked when he chooses a supplier:

- I have worked with Procudan for several years and regularly check their prices and service against other competitors. But I stick to them because they are competitive and I experience high delivery security. They have been a good partner who is available with professional advice - this has been the case since I had just a small shop.