In years gone by, frozen food was all about speed and convenience, with TV dinners, indulgent sweet treats, and filling sides available for pocket change and in a matter of moments. Meals including Original Findus Crispy Pancakes or Bernard Matthews Turkey Twizzlers, finished off with a slice of Romantica cake or Cappuccino Vienetta, once satisfied many UK households.
While some shoppers still crave those same speedy meals, the days when a frozen dinner, snack, or dessert meant compromising on quality or health are now behind us. M&S, for instance, is set to double its frozen range as it targets more family weekly shops, but without sacrificing quality. The new line includes products such as the £4.50 Collection Toscano Olive Oil Ice Cream and £7 Only 3 Ingredients Meatballs. In light of its investment in frozen foods, the store will increase freezer space across its outlets by over 25 per cent to support the expansion of its new frozen offerings.
At Waitrose, meanwhile, customers can purchase Canadian Whole Cooked Lobster in the frozen aisle for £12.50, or £5.50 True Tide Frozen White Clams and £6.60 No.1 Frozen Tarte aux Fruits. These new, upscale ranges are a far cry from what the frozen aisle once was, when budget-friendly, brightly advertised convenience foods reigned supreme.
Discontinued Favourites
Sara Lee Gateau
A common treat in the 1970s and 80s, the Sara Lee Black Forest Cake with Fresh Cream vanished from shelves in the early 2000s. The retro pudding consisted of decadent layers of chocolate sponge cake with whipped cream and cherries. Despite its unavailability, statistics show the nation still craves a similar dessert, as sales of Waitrose's chocolate sponge, cherry, and whipped cream version boomed in 2024, with a 134 per cent sales uptick. At the same time, Marks & Spencer also noticed a similar trend with its £15 luxury version, while Morrisons reported it as the fastest-growing dessert of the year. The soaring popularity may have been sparked by social media users reminiscing about the classic, long-discontinued Sara Lee frozen Black Forest gateau.
Walls Calippo Shots
Calippo shots, a frozen dessert made of flavoured iced balls in a shaker-style container, were a summer favourite for countless people across the UK. However, the frozen sweet treat was discontinued in 2020. That same year, Parliament was forced to respond to calls to reinstate the famous Calippo Shots, but the petition was ultimately rejected for failing to meet petition standards.
Bernard Matthews Turkey Twizzlers
Last year, Turkey Twizzlers were discontinued for a second time, decades after Jamie Oliver's campaign to have them banned. The lunchtime favourite was launched in 1997 but quietly disappeared from supermarkets with no warning or announcement. They were previously axed in 2005 after Jamie Oliver's healthy-eating 'Feed Me Better' campaign to ban them in schools. The corkscrew-shaped turkey sausage creations were singled out by the TV chef in his campaign to improve school dinners, and shamed for containing just 34 per cent meat. Shortly after the series was broadcast, sparking huge national conversations about whether school dinners were contributing to the child obesity crisis, Turkey Twizzlers were banned from school menus due to their poor nutritional value. The move sparked outrage among schoolchildren across the country, who, even 20 years later, still declare that Jamie will 'never be forgiven' for it. Turkey Twizzlers comprised just 34 per cent turkey meat, while the rest of the ingredients included pork fat, rusk, multiple preservatives, and a coating that had 21 ingredients alone.
Original Findus Crispy Pancakes
Debuting in the UK in the early 1970s, Original Findus Crispy Pancakes quickly became a household staple before being discontinued in 2016. In their heyday, the product came packed with fillings including cheese, minced beef, and ham. The brand became popular with shoppers seeking frozen meals in the UK in 1958, but suffered a serious blow during the 2013 horsemeat scandal when Findus frozen lasagna was found to contain horsemeat instead of beef. Young's subsequently pulled the product from the market. The brand declined to comment, but it had registered trademarks for Original Pancake Co and Chef's Classics with the Intellectual Property Office.
Birds Eye Potato Fritters
For many, Birds Eye Potato Fritters were a freezer staple, serving as an ideal side dish for a quick and easy dinner. The potato snacks were phased out in the early 2000s, reportedly due to declining sales. Nowadays, shoppers can find similar Birds Eye snacks, such as its much-loved Potato Waffles.
Cappuccino Vienetta
Though it might have been reserved for special occasions, Cappuccino Vienetta was once a popular dessert in many UK households. The coffee-flavoured ice cream cake, launched in the 1980s, featured layers of vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate sheets. But despite building up a loyal fan base, the statement pudding faded from shelves during the mid-1990s.
Arctic Roll
In its day, the Arctic Roll ruled the frozen dessert aisle, with shoppers keen to taste the jam-filled sponge cake. The pudding launched in UK supermarkets in 1970, thanks to inventor and Czechoslovakian immigrant Dr Ernest Velden, who started manufacturing it in Eastbourne in 1958. It was popularised by Birds Eye, but like many nostalgic frozen treats, it was phased out in the late 1990s. Due to popular demand, the frozen cake returned to some stores in 2008, but by 2024, most retailers had stopped stocking the Arctic Roll.
Gino Ginelli Ice Cream
It was the posh supermarket ice cream of the 80s, with multiple flavours from Toffee Fudge to Tutti Frutti and Mint Choc Chip. In addition to its ice cream, Gino Ginelli, which also sold a range of frozen pizzas in the 90s, was known for its adverts and 'Gino, oh Gino Ginelli' theme tune. The brand ultimately struggled to keep up as other luxury ice cream brands hit the market and disappeared from supermarket shelves in the early 2000s.
Flintstones Push-Up Sherbet Treats
Another classic 90s frozen sweet treat was the Flintstones Push-Up Sherbet Treats, manufactured by Nestle. The lolly came in a cardboard cylinder with a plastic stick to push the inside up as you went along. Orange was among the most popular flavours, alongside Dino's Granite Grape and Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm's Cave Kid Cherry.
Romantica Cake
Romantica cake from Wall's, a popular treat in the 1990s, was a luxurious meringue-based dessert with thin biscuit, chocolate, and ice cream layers, topped with chocolate balls. Despite being a budget-friendly option, the Romantica cake had the wow factor, thanks to its impressive appearance and creamy taste. While shoppers might spot the dessert pop up in Tesco, it was largely discontinued in the early 2000s, and versions today typically feature a heavily altered recipe compared to the original.
Heinz Baked Bean Pizza
It makes the debate on whether pineapple belongs on the Italian delicacy less controversial, but Heinz Baked Bean Pizza was, perhaps surprisingly, a hit in the 90s. The product, which was pulled from supermarkets in 2003, has a crispy base topped with tomato sauce, baked beans, mozzarella, and cheddar cheese. Despite the nostalgic 90s frozen meal being discontinued, it had a revival in Iceland back in 2023.
Funny Feet Ice Cream
Children nowadays might look confused if you mention a foot-shaped ice cream, but Funny Feet were once a popular dessert. The strawberry-flavoured ice cream, originally launched in 1980, became a cult-classic treat until they were gradually phased out in the 2000s. In 2014, a spokesperson from Walls told the Mirror via Manchester Evening News: 'There wasn't a conscious decision to get rid of Funny Feet. It was just pushed out by innovation. The 1990s saw the launch of the Magnum, for example.' However, due to popular demand, Iceland temporarily brought the ice cream back in 2021.
