For a larger Easter lunch, a 900 ml to 2 litre tub is a practical starting point if one flavour needs to serve the table; smaller 440–500 ml tubs make more sense for a small group or as an additional flavour. Check likely portion sizes and the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen information before deciding, especially if a guest needs a separate dairy-free option.
If one tub must provide scoops for the table or accompany cake, fruit or a hot pudding, begin with the number of servings you expect. Tesco Groceries lists a 2 litre vanilla tub; smaller flavours can provide an additional choice without being the main supply.
Several smaller tubs let guests choose between a simpler scoop and a dessert with pieces or sauce. Ben & Jerry's Half Baked is listed at 465 ml with cookie dough and brownie pieces; Magnum describes sauce and chocolate pieces in its 440 ml Double Salted Caramel tub.
A separately chosen alternative may be needed when a guest cannot have the main dairy tub. Check the exact pack with that guest’s requirements in mind: a plant-based description does not establish suitability for every allergy.
Choose it when: One broadly acceptable flavour needs to provide most of the scoops for a larger table.
Trade-off: One flavour offers less choice and may not meet a guest’s separate dietary needs.
Choose them when: The group is small or contrasting flavours are part of the dessert.
Trade-off: Check the combined volume before relying on small tubs to supply every serving.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Compare each pack’s volume with the servings you expect. Check whether a multipack’s stated volume is split between tubs. | I need enough scoops for the table without treating a small additional flavour as the main dessert. |
| Flavour and texture | Decide whether the ice cream accompanies another pudding or stands alone. Check for pieces, sauce or other additions if texture matters. | Alongside cake or fruit, I may prefer a simpler flavour; for a separate dessert course, guests may want a choice with more texture. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the exact pack’s ingredients, highlighted allergens and any suitability statements. Check a plant-based tub separately from a dairy tub. | If a guest has an allergy or needs a dairy-free dessert, I need an option checked against their particular requirements—not just its category name. |
| Availability | Confirm the chosen size and flavour at the selected store or delivery slot near the meal. Check the pack label again if a substitution is offered. | I want an alternative size or flavour in mind if my planned tub is not available when I shop. |
A 440–465 ml flavour tub holds considerably less than the 900 ml and 2 litre formats described in current product listings. The number of scoops still depends on how much you serve.
Plan the main dessert volume first, then add a smaller tub if guests would appreciate another flavour.
Plant-based products can contain allergens. GOV.UK’s guidance identifies soybeans among the allergens food businesses must declare when they are ingredients.
Ask guests what they need to avoid and check the ingredients and suitability statements on each exact pack.
Cookie dough, brownie pieces, caramel sauce or chocolate shards make a different accompaniment from a simpler scoop of ice cream.
If ice cream will sit alongside another rich pudding, consider a simpler base flavour and offer the mix-in tub separately.
The size or flavour shown while planning may differ from what is available for your selected collection or delivery slot.
Recheck the exact product near purchase and keep a suitable alternative in mind, including its pack size and allergen information.
These examples show different tub formats and flavour styles; each buying decision still depends on the particular pack.
Tesco Groceries lists larger vanilla formats, including Soft Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream 2L.
Half Baked is a 465 ml chocolate-and-vanilla tub with cookie dough and brownie pieces, according to its Joybuy product description.
Tesco Groceries lists a 460 ml Häagen-Dazs Vanilla tub among its ice cream tubs.
Magnum describes its 440 ml Double Salted Caramel tub as ice cream with salted-caramel sauce, a milk-chocolate shell and chocolate shards.
Marks & Spencer describes dairy ice creams, Plant Kitchen non-dairy options and sorbets in its range.
These tubs represent the larger-format route for an Easter lunch: four single tubs of 900 ml or 1 litre and a 2 × 1 litre pack. Choose between them by the flavour’s role at the table, the servings you expect and the exact pack information.
Image unavailable
Consider this twin pack when you want two tubs of the same ice cream to provide the main supply for a shared dessert. Check the exact pack against guests’ allergy needs and follow its frozen-storage directions.
Image unavailable
A 900 ml vanilla option to consider when ice cream will accompany another pudding. Check the exact pack for guests’ allergy requirements, including any nut or peanut warning.
Image unavailable
This 900 ml chocolate-led tub is a choice for a dessert where chocolate sauce and chunks are wanted, rather than a plainer accompaniment. Check its exact ingredients and allergen information for the guests you are serving.
Image unavailable
A 900 ml strawberry-flavoured alternative when the table wants something other than vanilla or chocolate. Its product description warns that E124 and E102 may adversely affect activity and attention in children; read the exact pack before serving, including its allergen information.
Image unavailable
A 1 litre honeycomb flavour to consider when texture is part of the dessert. The listing’s instruction to store this ice cream in a cool, dry place needs clarification: confirm the pack’s frozen-storage directions before buying or serving, and check its allergen information.
Start with a larger tub if one flavour must provide most of the scoops for a bigger Easter lunch, then check its volume against the servings you plan. Several smaller tubs suit a smaller group or a dessert where flavour choice matters more than relying on one main tub.
No. Plant-based does not mean free from every allergen: Marks & Spencer describes soy-based options in its Plant Kitchen range, and GOV.UK identifies soybeans among allergens that must be declared when they are ingredients. Check the exact pack against the guest’s requirements.
Read the full ingredients, highlighted allergens and any suitability statements on the exact pack. GOV.UK’s food-business guidance includes milk, eggs, cereals containing gluten, peanuts, tree nuts and soybeans among the regulated allergens; which of these matters for a particular tub depends on that product’s label.
Check your selected store or delivery slot close to the Easter meal, particularly if you need a specific size, flavour or dietary alternative. If you accept a substitution, check the replacement pack’s volume, ingredients and allergen information rather than assuming they match.