Nestlé ditches Kit Kat ice cream

Nestlé is understood to be withdrawing its Kit Kat ice cream after it failed to catch on despite the continued market leadership of the original chocolate bar.

One source suggests that the wafer-flavour centre in the middle of the ice cream product has been disappointing. “It was so different to the confectionery,” he says.

The Kit Kat ice cream was launched three years ago as a brand extension to the hugely successful bar, which last year achieved sales of 220m, according to company figures, and maintained its position as best-selling bar for the 13th year running.

The ice cream did not form part of Nestlé Ice Cream’s range of key products for 1998 known as the Super Six, which included Mega Truffle, Rowntree Fruit Pastille Lolly, Fab, Mirage Lemon, Extreme-Strawberry and Rolo.

Nestlé is also launching an ice cream version of its Toffee Crisp bar, which until now has only been available as part of a multi-pack promotion with Rolo ice cream bars.

At the same time, the company, which has a licensing deal with Walt Disney, is planning to unveil a new children’s lolly based on It’s A Bug’s Life, the latest animated film from the makers of Toy Story. Wine gums in the shape of bugs will be encased in the blue and lime-coloured lolly.

Wall’s Ice Cream is launching a brand extension of its Magnum brand called Magnum Double, containing a layer of caramel.