Award-winning ice cream, made in Scotland.

A distinct blend of Scottish Italian ice cream, made to a family recipe from Cassino that has not changed since 1972. Once you’ve tasted it, other brands melt into insignificance.

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Est. 1972Muirhead, Glasgow · Crolla’s since 2023

From Cassino
to Coatbridge.

The Soave family came from the town of Cassino, not far from Rome. Like many Italians of their generation they went looking for a better life, and in 1914 found it in the “sunnier climes” of Scotland.

The family cafe and ice cream business began in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, and stayed there through the first half of the century. In the early 1950s “Uncle Angie” bought Muirhead Cafe, and it was on that same site that Eric Soave, having taken over from his much-loved uncle in 1972, built a modern dairy and perfected the recipe the ice cream is still made to today.

The company has moved with the times on the technical side, but has never been tempted to alter the original family recipe. Scottish Tablet and the unequalled Vanilla Royale still rate among the favourites. In February 2023 Soave’s became part of Crolla’s, bringing a century of its own Italian heritage with it.

Eric Soave, in a grey suit, in front of a Soave's delivery van. — Eric Soave, who took over the family business in 1972

One recipe.
Over a century.

1914

Cassino to Scotland

The Soave family emigrates from Cassino, near Rome, and opens a cafe and ice cream business in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire.

1950s

Uncle Angie’s cafe

“Uncle Angie” buys Muirhead Cafe. The site will become the home of Soave’s ice cream for the next seventy years.

1972

Eric takes over

Eric Soave takes on his uncle’s mantle, builds a modern dairy on the cafe site and perfects the now famous Soave recipe.

2017

Royal Highland Show

Every ice cream entered at the Royal Highland Show wins an award, two years running, on top of a Champion Best Ice Cream title already on the shelf.

2023

Two families, one range

In February 2023 Soave’s joins the Crolla’s family. The recipe stays exactly as it was; the vans that deliver it are now ours.

Creating
the magic.

Soave’s ice cream starts as a “magical mix”: milk, cream and sugar combined with the family’s secret ingredients, heated to a high temperature, pasteurised and cooled rapidly to the smooth, creamy consistency the trade calls liquid mix.

And that is how we create the smooth, spellbinding magic that is Soave’s Ice Cream.

Mix and pasteurise

Milk, cream, sugar and the secret ingredients are blended, heated and rapidly cooled.

Age for six hours

The liquid mix rests for at least six hours before it goes anywhere near a freezer.

Freeze and pack

Frozen down in state-of-the-art ice cream makers, then packed into 4.75 litre Napolis.

Harden and hold

Hardened in very low temperature rooms and held at around −22°C, ready for delivery.

A Napoli tray of raspberry ripple ice cream being finished by hand in the Soave's dairy. — Rippled by hand

Ice cream production at the Soave's dairy. — On the production line

Soave's ice cream in a white 4.75 litre Napoli container.

One format.
Seven flavours.

Soave’s comes in one size: the 4.75 litre white Napoli, made for the parlour cabinet and the one to show the range off with.

For over forty years Soave’s has built on the original family recipe and mastered many more. Every flavour starts with the same secret recipe vanilla, from Vanilla Royale itself to Cookies & Cream made with Oreo and the Scottish Tablet the family has been making for over thirty years. What’s your favourite?

4.75 litre white Napoli containers, cabinet ready
Seven flavours, all to the 1972 family recipe
Order by the Soave’s code below, through your Crolla’s account

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Seven ways
to fill a cabinet.

The full Soave’s list, with the code you order it by.

soa404Biscoff
soa411Cookies & Cream
soa419Highland Toffee
soa434Salted Butter Caramel Swirl
soa436Strawberry & Cream
soa443Tablet
soa449Vanilla Royale

Vanilla Royale is the award-winning vanilla every other flavour is built on. Highland Toffee, sticky toffee swirled through it with crunchy shards on top, took bronze at the Royal Highland Show two years running. And Tablet, which Soave’s has been making for over thirty years and reckons it invented.

The medals
to prove it.

Soave’s awards span decades. The Royal Highland Show at Ingliston is the one that matters in Scottish ice cream, and every Soave’s entry in 2017 and 2018 came home with something.

RHS
Champion Best Ice Cream
The top award at the Royal Highland Show ice cream competition, alongside two Silver merits.
2017
2018
Royal Highland Show medals
Bronze for Scottish Highland Toffee in both years. Every ice cream entered was an award winner.
2015
Sunday Mail Golden Cone
Finalist, and featured the same year on the Scotland Ice Cream Trail.
2017
Lanarkshire Business Awards
Finalist for business excellence.