Frozen yoghurt, the dessert trend that quietly died off in the late 2010s, is making a strong comeback in London. New shops from the US and Australia are opening across the capital, drawing long queues and social media buzz.
The rise and fall of fro-yo
Snog, the frozen yoghurt brand that dominated London’s dessert scene in the late 2000s and early 2010s, once had 10 stores across the capital at its peak. Today, only two locations remain, on Tottenham Court Road and in Soho. The fro-yo trend faded as competition from brands like Pinkberry, Yog, Yoomoo, and Frae intensified, prices rose, and consumers realised it was not always the healthier alternative to ice cream they had believed. This led to fro-yo fatigue, and Brits moved on to gourmet cupcakes and cronuts.
New brands arrive in London
In June, Los Angeles-born Go Greek opened in Mayfair, serving tubs of frozen yoghurt costing up to £12. Huge queues stretched down the street on launch day, as people were eager to try the dessert favoured by celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Gigi Hadid, and Kim Kardashian. In mid-July, MYKA, a Greek fro-yo brand founded in Madrid, arrived in London, specialising in artisanal fro-yo made with milk and kefir. Yo-Chi, a cult Australian favourite, announced it would open in Notting Hill on 20 August, with a two-floor space seating 120 guests — its largest branch to date. The self-serve shop offers nine flavours, including matcha and salted butterscotch, plus 30 topping options.
Why frozen yoghurt is cool again
According to Vhari Russell, founder of The Food Marketing Experts, nostalgia is driving the comeback. Millennials, who have fond memories of eating fro-yo the first time around, are fuelling the trend. 'There’s definitely a strong 00s/2010s throwback flavour to the fro-yo resurgence; it was everywhere a decade ago, riding the same wave as juice cleanses and “frozen yoghurt is healthier than ice cream” messaging,' Russell told Metro. 'Chains like Pinkberry and Yog defined a whole era of self-serve, pay-by-weight dessert bars, and for a while it felt like every UK high street had one.'
Russell noted that the tone of marketing has shifted. Brands are no longer promoting a 'health halo' as they did in the 2010s. Instead, the focus is on creating a food experience with bright colours, customisable topping bars, and visually appealing desserts that perform well on social media. 'It’s dessert as entertainment rather than a lighter alternative to ice cream, which feels like a much more honest pitch anyway,' Russell added.
