Ice cream season in 2025: prices, trends and new flavors in Hungarian ice cream parlors

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 03. 14. 11:15

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Although most of the country was greeted by cloudy, rainy weather on the weekend of March 15, this did not prevent ice cream lovers from tasting the first scoop of the year. After the economic difficulties of recent years, Hungarian pastry shops and ice cream parlors have finally started to grow, and the year 2025 promises positive trends. Balázs Erdélyi, the professional president of the Hungarian Confectionery Industry Association, spoke to Pénzcentrum about the expected prices, this year’s ice cream trends and what makes Hungarian ice cream outstanding on a global level.

Pastry shops and ice cream parlors have survived

The pandemic and the subsequent economic challenges have affected many catering establishments, but pastry shops and ice cream parlors have suffered less from the crisis than other catering units. According to Balázs Erdélyi, although the number of pastry shops decreased by 3.3% in 2023, they experienced an increase of almost 1% in 2024. The total sales turnover of catering establishments increased by 13.7%, which is also a favorable sign of recovery for ice cream makers.

The growth was primarily driven by the strengthening of tourism and changing consumer trends. A good quality ice cream or cake is an affordable luxury for more and more guests, especially for those who visit restaurants less often.

What prices can we expect in 2025?

In 2024, pastry shops raised prices modestly, with the price of ice cream increasing by an average of 10%. A similar price increase is expected again in the 2025 season, so the price of a scoop of ice cream will be around 550-650 forints. In the case of cakes, the current price level of 1000-1500 forints seems sustainable, while premium, more labor-intensive desserts will move in the 1500-2000 forint range.

Some pastry shops continue to strive to increase turnover with a price-sensitive strategy, meaning that they may offer ice cream at last year’s prices at the beginning of the season.